Adelaide, Dec. 19 -- England assistant coach Jeetan Patel has played down concerns over Ben Stokes' fitness to bowl, suggesting sheer exhaustion may have been the primary reason behind the the captain's absence from the attack on day three of the third Ashes Test here.
Stokes, who bowled 19 overs in Australia's first innings, all on day one, did not turn his arm over during the hosts' 66 overs on Friday, 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.
His workload across the first three days was immense, having also spent over five hours at the crease while battling extreme heat and physical discomfort as he showcased unbelievable resilience a...