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England's captain Ben Stokes is said to be "worn out" but still "physically able" to bowl, according to assistant coach Jeetan Patel, even though he did not bowl on the day three of a pivotal Ashes Test.

Stokes deployed five other bowlers as the Australian side moved to 271-4 in their follow-on, building a substantial advantage of 356 runs at the venue.

The versatile all-rounder had earlier battled for more than five hours at the wicket over two days to score 83 runs in England's initial batting effort.

A Grueling Innings

During his marathon 198-ball stay, the veteran cricketer was struck on the head by a fast bowler and experienced muscle cramps. He also needed a period off the field on Friday after banging his head on the turf while trying to field the ball.

"He could be a bit tired and just require some time to himself right now," stated Patel.

"Based on my knowledge, he's quite ready 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."

Past Fitness Concerns

Considering his chequered injury past – Stokes has not played a full part in any of England's last four series – any indication the Durham man might be carrying a problem draws considerable scrutiny.

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 remain alive in the Ashes series.

At 2-0 down and requiring a victory in Adelaide to keep their hopes of regaining the urn alive, England had conceded a first-innings lead of 85 runs.

"My understanding is he operates 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 likely where he's at."

The tourists could have stayed within the match by bowling out Australia for approximately 240 in their second knock 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 abstained from bowling but that's probably a different discussion with him," said former New Zealand international Patel.

"I don't actually know. We all know he never performs at 80%. Maybe he thought he was a risk, so he didn't bowl."

Past Instances and Current Strain

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

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

Stokes has a history of driving himself past breaking point, and it was put to Patel that the captain felt he might have risked injury if he pushed 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 visitors' defeat is sealed on day four, it would mean the outcome of the Ashes has been decided in just ten 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 victor of an Ashes series been decided this quickly.

A Daunting Task Ahead

If a primary objective is to prolong the game into a fifth day, England will also have to pull off the highest successful chase at the Adelaide Oval to keep the series alive.

"I remain convinced there's an opportunity for us," stated Patel. "It won't be easy, we're going to need something extraordinary. I think it's about time we saw something special from us."

"After three matches, we've landed some blows but taken a lot. It's about time, now we're backed into a corner, to throw some haymakers."