Ben Stokes may be fit enough to bowl, but sheer exhaustion kept the England captain out of the attack on day three of the third Ashes Test, as Australia surged towards a commanding position in Adelaide.
Travis Head’s superb unbeaten 142 anchored another dominant Australian day, lifting the hosts to 271 for 4 and a daunting lead of 356 runs. With England already trailing 2–0 in the series, the match — and potentially the Ashes — now appears to be slipping rapidly out of reach.
Stokes had earlier carried England’s batting, top-scoring with a gritty 83 in their first-innings total of 286. His knock spanned more than five hours across days two and three, delivered in punishing conditions that saw temperatures soar past 40 degrees. At various stages, the England skipper appeared to be battling cramp and physical discomfort as he dragged his side to a semblance of respectability.
Despite being England’s most effective bowler in the series, Stokes did not send down a single over during Australia’s first 66 overs of the second innings. Bowling coach Jeetan Patel insisted the decision had nothing to do with injury, instead pointing to fatigue after Stokes’ heavy all-round workload.
“He’s taken a lot out of himself to get through this point in the game,” Patel explained. “He’s probably just pretty knackered. We all know he doesn’t do anything at 80 percent. If he thought he was a risk, he wasn’t going to bowl.”
Patel added that Stokes’ standards may have dictated the call. “If he thinks he can’t do it at 100 percent, I don’t think he’s going to do it. That’s probably where he’s at.”
The situation echoes recent history. Earlier this year, Stokes delayed bowling in England’s drawn Test against India at Old Trafford, eventually delivering 11 overs on the final day before missing the following Test with a shoulder injury. Given his long list of past issues — including knee problems and recurring hamstring injuries — England will be anxiously monitoring his condition.
For now, England’s focus turns to survival. With Australia firmly on top and Head dictating terms alongside Alex Carey, Patel acknowledged the scale of the challenge ahead but urged his side not to fold.
“I still believe there’s an opportunity for us,” he said. “It won’t be easy — we’re going to need something magical. Three games in, we’ve thrown some punches but taken a lot. Now that we’re backed into a corner, it’s time to throw some haymakers back.”
Whether England have the physical energy — or the cricketing firepower — left to conjure that magic remains the looming question as the Ashes edge ever closer to slipping away.
