James Anderson said that Ben Stokes still wants to play in the fifth Test despite a side strain.
During the fourth Test in Sydney, he injured his left side.
He will be assessed before the day-night series finale on Friday.
Anderson said that his friend was already saying that it felt a bit better.
Anderson said that they're still down. It would be easy for him to say 'I've pulled my side, I'll go home and get it sorted'.
He still wants to play that fifth Test.
England showed spirit, bottle and strength.
He would not have to bat lower than his usual number five spot because he remained on the field for Australia's first and second Tests despite being injured.
Anderson said it shows what playing for this team means to him.
If you've never pulled your side, you don't know what it's like. You feel it every time you breathe. There are some movements that are very painful.
England will be without Buttler and Bairstow due to injury.
They will go into the final Test knowing they have avoided a third whitewash in Australia in 15 years.
After being set an unlikely 388 to win, England were able to earn a draw on 270-9 after the last man, James Anderson, survived a Steve Smith over.
Bairstow made England's first century of the series in the first Test in Australia, while Ben Stokes made half-century in each of the other two Tests, and Zak Crawley scored 77 in the second.
England's preparations at the beginning of the tour were limited due to bad weather and a combination of Covid-19 restrictions and players arriving late from the T20 World Cup.
"We had no cricket before this," said Anderson, England's all-time leading bowler. Imagine what we could have done if we had a few first-class games before the series.
I don't want to make it sound like we should have played better.
The preparation has not been great and it is starting to show that guys are used to the conditions. We are showing what we can do.
Spin is my absolute niche.
In the final over of the fourth Test, Anderson beat Smith's leg-spin by a whisker.
After Stuart Broad saw off Nathan Lyon, Anderson was left to face Smith.
Anderson talked about how he did it on the Tailenders podcast.
I thought 'we've got this' the whole time Bairstow was at the crease. I thought I'd have to bat when he got out.
I've been in that situation before. The best place to be in that situation is out in the middle.
The umpires said it was too dark to bowl seam. I thought I had this. Spin is my specialty. I enjoy facing spin.
I was quietly confident going out there. If Pat Cummins had been bowling, I would have seen more of the whites of my eyes.
I was thinking. I knew it was spin. The ball wouldn't bounce anywhere to the men around the bat if I took off my chest pad and armguard.
Stuart Broad told me to get a big stride in, smother the ball, and not let the bounce beat my bat.
I said 'it's all right, I've played before, it's fine'.
I don't think Steve would begrudge me using the word 'pie', he landed five balls, but the sixth - I don't think he would begrudge me using the word.
When I shook his hand, I asked what it was. The pressure got to him.
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