England opening batter Zak Crawley suggested he had no knowledge of comments from skipper Stokes about the dressing room not being "those lacking fortitude".
Stokes delivered those words in several conversations in the wake of his team's defeat in the second Ashes versus the Australians earlier this month.
Ahead of the Adelaide Test, where the visitors now face defeat at the earliest opportunity, Stokes stated he had allowed his sentiment to "drift around" among the playing group.
"I have completed all the talking in recent days that I needed to have done," remarked the England leader.
However, following Crawley made 85 on the fourth day in Adelaide, he commented: "I didn't see that."
"I wasn't actively searching for it. We take anything stated in the media with a pinch of salt," Crawley continued.
Frank Discussions and Consistent Messaging
The captain issued his "fragile individuals" observation subsequent to his side were beaten in the second Test to fall 2-0 down.
The England squad subsequently took a holiday to a Queensland resort between the second and third matches.
Before this match, he revealed his team had held "raw" talks and he had asked them to "show a bit of dog" in their effort to remain alive in the series.
Yet, Crawley asserted the messaging from Stokes and head coach Brendon McCullum had remained in line with their previous tenure in charge.
"The atmosphere has been extremely upbeat, unchanged," said Crawley. "It's on maintaining positivity, playing our brand, with great liberty. We believed we could do an extraordinary feat going into this game."
Australia On the Verge of Rapid Ashes Triumph
Crawley's dismissal late on Saturday was part of a decisive triple-strike by Australian spinner Lyon.
The spinner's three wickets in 20 deliveries – including the wickets of Brook and Ben Stokes – meant England 207-6 chasing a daunting target of 435.
This means, the home team need just four more wickets on the final day to move to an unassailable three-nil lead with three Tests.
A loss will extend the English team's winless run in Australia to 18 Tests and condemn them to a fourth successive overseas Ashes series defeat.
The current battle is set to be decided in only eleven days of cricket – after England losing the first two Tests in rapid time each.
Not since 1921, when Australia sealed a series win in England in eight days, has the outcome of the urn been determined so quickly. Australia have also won in eleven days on two other instances in the 21st century.
"This is disheartening," admitted the batsman. "We came here to regain the Ashes and now we are staring down the barrel now."
"There will still be significant pride at stake and we will certainly approach it like that," Crawley added.
"The challenge has been difficult. Australia is a formidable side. It was always going to be tough touring here against them. They were the front-runners coming in to it they've proven why."
Ollie Pope's Position In Question
While the opener's performance in the third Test probably answers questions about his immediate place in the side, Ollie Pope looks under immense pressure for his position in the fourth Test starting December 26th.
The Surrey batsman fell for 17 in England's second knock on day four, extending his poor record versus the old enemy.
In 16 Ashes innings, Pope has failed to score a half-century and averages just 17.62.
Only one other England player since 1900 – Amiss – has featured an equal number of innings in the top six in the Ashes and recorded a poorer average.
However, Crawley said any notion Pope is under the microscope comes from "the media" – meaning the press – "and not within the team."
"The squad is fully aware of his considerable talent," said Crawley. "He has had a productive year if I'm honest."
"He has played some really good knocks. It is noise externally. There is no discussion of that nature on Ollie amongst the players," he concluded.
