Stokes 'knackered' but 'fit to bowl', says England assistant coach

England captain Ben Stokes was "knackered" but "fit to bowl" despite not bowling on Day 3 of the third Ashes Test in Adelaide, according to assistant coach Jeetan Patel.

Stokes did not bring himself on to bowl even as Australia reached 271 for 4 in their second innings, extending their overall lead to 356. England employed five other bowlers across 66 overs on a searing hot day but Stokes's control with the ball was missed, with Travis Head and Alex Carey laying into the part-time offspin of Will Jacks, who conceded 107 runs at an economy rate of 5.6.

Stokes had earlier spent more than five hours at the crease across two days, making 83 in England's first innings. During his 198-ball stay, he seemed to struggle with cramps in the 40 degrees heat and later spent time off the field after hitting his head on the ground while fielding, with Harry Brook taking over captaincy duties briefly.

"He might be a bit tired and just needs a bit of time to himself right now," Patel said. "From what I understand, he's pretty fit to bowl. I think he's just pretty knackered and he's taken a lot out of himself to get through to this point in the game."

Stokes' absence from the bowling attack stood out, especially with the Ashes on the line and his history of injuries in recent times. With Brydon Carse proving to be expensive with the new ball, it was also expected that Stokes could take the new ball but he held himself back.

Patel suggested Stokes's decision to not bowl himself at all may have something to do with workload management.

"All I know is he goes at 100%," Patel said. "If he thinks he can't do it at 100%, I don't think he's going to do it."

England trail 2-0 in the series and face an uphill task in Adelaide, with Australia firmly in control heading into the fourth day.