The English opener Zak Crawley has indicated he was not familiar with comments from skipper Stokes about the dressing room as no place for "weak men".
The all-rounder made 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 England are staring at a series loss with a match to spare, Stokes noted he had let his message to "drift around" among the playing group.
"I have completed the necessary discussions in recent days that I required," remarked Stokes.
But, after Crawley made a knock of 85 on the penultimate day in the third Test, he stated: "I missed those remarks."
"I wasn't actively searching for it. Our approach is to take everything that is said in the press with a pinch of salt," he added.
Raw Conversations and Consistent Messaging
The captain made the "fragile individuals" observation subsequent to his side were beaten in the second Test to fall 2-0 down.
The England squad afterwards went on a break to Noosa between the second and the upcoming Tests.
Prior to the Adelaide contest, he said his team had held "raw" talks and he had asked them to "show a bit of dog" in their battle to remain alive in the Ashes battle.
Yet, the Kent batsman stated the messaging from Stokes and coach Brendon McCullum had remained in line with their prior three years in leadership.
"It's been very positive, unchanged," noted Crawley. "It's on maintaining positivity, play our way, with great liberty. It felt like we were capable of an extraordinary feat going into this game."
The Hosts On the Verge of Historic Series Victory
The opener's wicket on day four was part of a decisive three-wicket burst by Australia spinner Lyon.
Lyon's three wickets in 20 deliveries – he also bowled Brook and Ben Stokes – left England six down for 207 chasing a notional total of 435 runs.
This means, the home team require just four more wickets on Sunday's last day to move to an unassailable 3-0 lead after three matches played.
A loss would prolong England's drought in Australia to 18 consecutive matches and condemn them to a fourth straight away Ashes defeat.
The current battle will be completed in just 11 days of cricket – after England losing the first two Tests in two and four days each.
The last time 1921, when Australia sealed a series win in England in eight days, has the outcome of the Ashes urn been determined more swiftly. Australia have also won in eleven days on two other occasions in the modern era.
"It's disheartening," said the batsman. "We came here to regain the Ashes and now we are staring down the barrel at this point."
"There remains significant pride at stake and we'll certainly approach it with that mindset," he continued.
"It's been tough. Australia is a formidable team. It was inevitably hard touring here to face them. They entered as the front-runners and have demonstrated their quality."
Ollie Pope's Place In Question
Although the opener's innings in Adelaide likely secures doubts about his short-term place in the England team, Pope appears under immense pressure for his spot in the fourth Test starting December 26th.
The Surrey batsman was out for 17 in the team's second knock on Saturday, adding to his modest returns versus the old enemy.
In sixteen Ashes knocks, the Surrey man has failed to score a fifty and averages 17.62.
Only one other England player since 1900 – Dennis Amiss – has featured as many times in the top six in the Ashes and recorded a lower average.
But, Crawley insisted any notion his teammate is being scrutinised comes from "the media" – meaning the journalists – "not inside the camp."
"We all know of his considerable talent," added Crawley. "Ollie has enjoyed a productive year to be frank."
"He has produced several excellent innings. It is talk externally. There's no discussion of that nature on Ollie in the camp," Crawley concluded.
