"He's pretty fit to bowl": Jeetan Patel on Ben Stokes bowling fitness during Adelaide Test

Adelaide [Australia], December 19 : England assistant coach Jeetan Patel has said that their captain Ben Stokes is fit to bowl in the remainder of the ongoing third Ashes Test in Adelaide. Patel has suggested that exhaustion may have been the primary reason behind Stokes' absence from the attack on day three of the Adelaide Test on Friday.
Stokes bowled 19 overs for England in the first innings against Australia. The England captain didn't bowl over the Aussies' 66 overs stay at the crease on day three, despite owning England's best bowling average (25.87) in the series and leading the team's wicket-taking charts in Tests in 2025 with 28 scalps.
"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 this point in the game," said Patel as quoted by ICC.
The assistant coach, Patel, felt the emotional and physical investment of Stokes' innings, which ended on 83, compounded the fatigue.
"The disappointment of the way he got out this morning, well not the way, it was a pretty good delivery, but all the work he had done to get to the position where he was, where we could press on again and push that partnership further, that took a lot out of him as well and then you get that early wicket and the energies are up and all of a sudden it's not quite where you think it's going," Patel added.
"We all know he doesn't do anything at 80%. Maybe he thought he was a risk, so he didn't bowl. I'm very optimistic of where we could take it. It won't be easy, we're going to need something magical. Three games in, we've thrown some but taken a lot and I think it's about time, now we're backed into a corner, to throw some haymakers back," he added.
Coming to the match, Australia won the toss and opted to bat first. After being reduced to 94/4 courtesy some incredible bowling from Archer, a 91-run stand between Usman Khawaja (82 in 126 balls, with 10 fours) and Alex Carey brought the Aussies back in the game.
Carey went on to get his first Ashes ton, scoring 106 in 143 balls, with eight fours and a six. Starc (54 in 75 balls, with eight fours) also continued a dream run with the bat as the Aussies piled on 371 runs. Archer (5/53) was exceptional for England, while Brydon Carse and Tongue got a couple each.
Later, England slipped to 168/8 in their first innings, with Ben Stokes (83 in 198 balls, with eight fours) and Jofra Archer (51 in 105 balls, with five fours and a six) putting on a hundred partnership and ending the innings at 286 all out, trailing by 85 runs.
Australia ended their day at 271/4, with Head (142*), Alex Carey (52* in 91 balls, with four boundaries) putting on a century partnership and giving Australia a massive 356-run lead.