Ben Stokes Fit to Bowl as England Faces Challenges in Third Ashes Test

In the ongoing third Ashes Test, England's assistant coach Jeetan Patel has confirmed that captain Ben Stokes is fit to bowl, despite concerns about his fatigue. Stokes, who played a crucial role in the first innings, is expected to contribute further as England faces a challenging match against Australia. The match has seen significant performances from both teams, with Australia establishing a strong lead. Read on to discover how the match unfolds and the implications for both teams.

By Narendra Chaudhary Dec 19, 2025, 20:15 IST

Stokes Ready to Contribute Despite Fatigue

Adelaide [Australia], December 19: Jeetan Patel, the assistant coach for England, has confirmed that captain Ben Stokes is fit to bowl in the ongoing third Ashes Test in Adelaide. Patel indicated that Stokes' absence from bowling on day three was likely due to fatigue rather than injury.

In the first innings against Australia, Stokes bowled 19 overs. However, he did not take to the field during Australia's 66 overs on day three, despite holding the best bowling average (25.87) in the series and leading the wicket-taking charts for England in Tests this year with 28 wickets.

"From what I gather, he’s in good shape to bowl. He’s just quite exhausted and has exerted a lot of energy to reach this stage in the match," Patel stated, as reported by ICC.

Patel noted that the emotional and physical toll from Stokes' innings, which concluded at 83 runs, contributed to his fatigue.

"The disappointment from how he got out this morning—though it was a good delivery—along with all the effort he put in to reach that point, took a lot out of him. Then, when you lose an early wicket, the energy shifts, and it’s not quite where you expect it to be," Patel elaborated.

"We all know he never operates at 80%. Perhaps he felt it was too risky to bowl. I remain optimistic about our potential. It won’t be easy; we need something extraordinary. After three games, we’ve faced challenges but also achieved much, and now it’s time to fight back," he added.

Match Overview

In the match, Australia won the toss and chose to bat first. After a shaky start at 94/4, a crucial 91-run partnership between Usman Khawaja (82 runs off 126 balls, including 10 fours) and Alex Carey helped stabilize the innings.

Carey went on to score his first Ashes century, finishing with 106 runs off 143 balls, featuring eight fours and a six. Mitchell Starc also contributed significantly with the bat, scoring 54 runs off 75 balls, as Australia amassed a total of 371 runs. Jofra Archer was outstanding for England, taking 5 wickets for 53 runs, while Brydon Carse and Tongue each claimed two wickets.

Later, England found themselves struggling at 168/8 in their first innings. However, Ben Stokes (83 runs off 198 balls, with eight fours) and Jofra Archer (51 runs off 105 balls, with five fours and a six) formed a vital partnership, helping England to finish their innings at 286 all out, trailing by 85 runs.

As the day concluded, Australia stood at 271/4, with Travis Head (142*) and Alex Carey (52* off 91 balls, with four boundaries) forming a century partnership, extending Australia's lead to a substantial 356 runs.