The English opening batter Zak Crawley suggested he was not familiar with comments made by skipper Stokes about the dressing room as no place for "weak men".
The all-rounder delivered this message in several conversations following his team's defeat in the second Ashes series versus the Australians previously.
In the lead-up to the third Test, where the visitors now face defeat at the earliest opportunity, the captain noted he had let his message to "drift around" within the playing group.
"I've done the necessary discussions over the past two days that I needed to have done," said the England leader.
But, following Crawley made 85 on the fourth day in Adelaide, he stated: "I didn't see that."
"I didn't see and wasn't really looking out for it. Our approach is to take everything that is said in the media with some skepticism," Crawley continued.
Frank Discussions and Consistent Messaging
Stokes issued his "weak men" comment subsequent to his side were beaten in the second Test to fall 2-0 down.
The team subsequently went on a break to a Queensland resort between the second and third matches.
Before the Adelaide contest, Stokes revealed his team had held "honest" conversations and he had urged them to "show a bit of dog" in their effort to remain in contention in the series.
Nevertheless, the Kent batsman stated the messaging from Stokes and coach Brendon McCullum had stayed in line with their prior three years in charge.
"It's been extremely upbeat, unchanged," said the opener. "The focus is on maintaining positivity, playing our brand, with lots of freedom. It felt like we could do an extraordinary feat entering this game."
The Hosts Close of Rapid Series Victory
Crawley's dismissal late on Saturday came during a decisive triple-strike by Australia spinner Lyon.
The spinner's three wickets in 20 deliveries – including the wickets of Brook and Stokes himself – left England 207-6 in pursuit of a notional target of 435 runs.
This means, Australia require just four more wickets on the last day to secure an insurmountable three-nil lead after three matches played.
A loss will extend the English team's winless run in Australia to 18 consecutive matches and condemn them to a fourth successive overseas Ashes defeat.
This series will be completed in only 11 days of cricket – after England losing the first two Tests in rapid time each.
The last time 1921, when the Australians completed victory in England in eight days, has the destination of the Ashes urn been determined more swiftly. The hosts have also won in 11 days on two other occasions in the modern era.
"It's disappointing," said Crawley. "We came here to regain the Ashes and now we are facing elimination at this point."
"There will still be plenty to play for and we'll certainly approach it with that mindset," he continued.
"The challenge has been tough. Australia is a very, very good team. It was inevitably hard coming here to face them. They were the front-runners coming in to it they've proven why."
Pope's Place Under Scrutiny
Although Crawley's performance in the third Test likely secures questions about his immediate place in the England team, Pope appears under immense pressure for his position in the Melbourne Test starting December 26th.
The Surrey batsman was out for 17 runs in the team's second innings on Saturday, extending his poor record against the old enemy.
In sixteen Ashes knocks, Pope has never made a fifty and averages 17.62.
A solitary other English batsman in over a century – Amiss – has played as many times in the top six in the Ashes and returned a poorer average.
However, the opener insisted any suggestion Pope is under the microscope comes from "you guys" – referring to the press – "not inside the camp."
"We all know of his considerable talent," added he. "He has had a productive year to be frank."
"He has produced several excellent innings. It is talk from the outside. There is no chat like that regarding Pope in the camp," he finished.
