The English opener Zak Crawley has indicated he had no knowledge of comments from captain Stokes regarding the dressing room as no place for "those lacking fortitude".
Stokes delivered this message in several interviews in the wake of England's loss in the second match of the Ashes against Australia previously.
In the lead-up to the Adelaide Test, where the visitors are staring at defeat at the earliest opportunity, the captain stated he had allowed his message to "drift around" among the squad.
"I have completed all the talking over the past two days that I needed to have done," remarked Stokes.
But, after the opener scored a knock of 85 on the penultimate day in the third Test, he commented: "I missed those remarks."
"I wasn't actively searching for it. We take everything that is said in the media with a pinch of salt," he added.
Frank Discussions and Steady Philosophy
Stokes made the "weak men" observation after England were beaten in the second Test to go two matches behind.
The England squad afterwards went on a holiday to a Queensland resort in the gap between the second and the upcoming Tests.
Prior to the Adelaide contest, he revealed his team had held "raw" conversations and he had asked them to "display some fight" in their battle to remain alive in the series.
Nevertheless, Crawley stated the messaging from Stokes and head coach Brendon McCullum had stayed in line with their prior tenure in leadership.
"The atmosphere has been very positive, unchanged," noted Crawley. "It's just trying to be optimistic, play our way, with lots of freedom. We believed we could do an extraordinary feat going into this game."
Australia Close of Rapid Ashes Triumph
The opener's wicket on day four was part of a crucial three-wicket burst by Australian spinner Lyon.
The spinner's triple strike in 20 deliveries – including the wickets of Brook and Stokes himself – meant the chasing side six down for 207 chasing a daunting total of 435 runs.
This means, the home team need just four more wickets on the last day to move to an insurmountable three-nil lead after three Tests.
A loss will extend the English team's drought in Australia to 18 Tests and ensure a fourth successive overseas Ashes defeat.
The current battle will be completed in only 11 days of cricket – with England losing the initial matches in rapid time each.
The last time 1921, when Australia completed a series win in the UK in eight days, has the outcome of the urn been decided so quickly. Australia have also won in eleven days on two other instances in the 21st century.
"This is disappointing," admitted Crawley. "We came here to regain the Ashes and we're staring down the barrel now."
"There remains significant pride at stake and we'll definitely view it with that mindset," Crawley added.
"The challenge has been tough. They're a very, very good side. It was inevitably hard touring here to face them. They were the front-runners coming in to it they've proven why."
Ollie Pope's Position In Question
While Crawley's performance in Adelaide probably answers doubts about his short-term future in the side, Ollie Pope looks under immense pressure for his spot in the fourth Test on Boxing Day.
Pope was out for 17 in England's second knock on day four, adding to his modest returns versus Australia.
Across 16 Ashes innings, the Surrey man has failed to score a half-century and boasts an average of just 17.62.
Only one other English batsman in over a century – Dennis Amiss – has played an equal number of innings in the top order in the Ashes and returned a poorer average.
However, the opener insisted any suggestion Pope is under the microscope comes from "the media" – meaning the journalists – "not inside the camp."
"We all know of his considerable talent," said he. "He has had a good year to be frank."
"He has played several excellent innings. This is talk externally. There's no chat like that on Ollie in the camp," Crawley finished.
