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England's captain Ben Stokes is said to be "worn out" but still "fit and ready" to deliver overs, per team coach Jeetan Patel, despite he did not bowl on the day three of a critical Ashes Test.

Stokes deployed a quintet of alternative bowlers as Australia progressed to 271-4 in their second innings, building a substantial advantage of 356 runs at the Adelaide Oval.

The dynamic player had earlier spent over five hours at the crease across two days to score 83 runs in England's first innings.

A Demanding Knock

Throughout his marathon 198-ball stay, the 34-year-old was struck on the head by Mitchell Starc and suffered muscle cramps. He also required time off the field on the previous day after banging his head on the turf while trying to field the ball.

"He might be a little fatigued and just need a bit of time to himself right now," commented Patel.

"From what I understand, he's pretty fit to bowl. I think he's just really exhausted and he's expended a great deal out of himself to reach this point in the match."

Injury History Scrutiny

Given his complicated injury history – Stokes has not been fully available in any of England's previous four series – any suggestion the Durham man might be nursing an issue attracts significant attention.

Always keen to be in the heat of battle, Stokes' absence from the attack on Friday was puzzling given it was England's last chance to stay in the Ashes series.

At trailing 2-0 and needing to win in Adelaide to keep their aspirations of regaining the urn intact, England had conceded a first-innings lead of 85 runs.

"My understanding is he goes at 100%," said Patel. "If he thinks he can't do it at 100%, I don't think he's going to do it. That's probably where he's at."

The tourists could have remained in the match by bowling out Australia for around 240 in their second innings and had slim hopes at certain scorelines, only for the home team to accelerate away through Travis Head's unbeaten 142.

Even though England delivered 66 overs, Stokes chose not to bowl.

"He didn't bowl but that's perhaps a separate conversation with him," noted former New Zealand international Patel.

"I'm not entirely sure. We all know he never performs at 80%. Maybe he thought he was a liability, so he didn't bowl."

Precedent and Pressure

The most recent occasion Stokes curtailed his own bowling was on the last day of the drawn fourth Test against India at Old Trafford in July.

He subsequently was absent for the fifth Test at The Oval with a shoulder injury.

Stokes has a reputation of pushing his body past breaking point, and it was put to Patel that the captain felt he might have risked injury if he exerted himself any further in Adelaide.

On the Brink of Defeat

England stand on the edge of another loss in Australia, once again likely to be beaten inside the initial three matches of the series.

If the tourists' loss is completed on Saturday's fourth day, it would mean the outcome of the Ashes has been decided in 10 days – the first and second Tests were over in two and four days respectively.

Not since 1921, when Australia needed only eight playing days to win in England, has the winner of an Ashes series been determined so swiftly.

A Formidable Challenge

If a primary objective is to prolong the game into a final day, England will also have to achieve the highest successful chase at the Adelaide Oval to keep the series ongoing.

"I remain convinced there's an opportunity for us," said Patel. "It will be difficult, we're going to need something magical. I think it's high time we witnessed something magical from us."

"After three matches, we've thrown some but taken a lot. It's time, now we're backed into a corner, to fight back fiercely."