England opening batter Zak Crawley suggested he was not familiar with comments made by captain Stokes about the team environment as no place for "weak men".
The all-rounder delivered those words in multiple conversations following his team's defeat in the second Ashes against the Australians previously.
In the lead-up to the third Test, where the visitors are staring at a series loss with a match to spare, Stokes stated he had allowed his sentiment to "drift around" within the squad.
"I have completed the necessary discussions over the past two days that I needed to have done," remarked the England leader.
But, following the opener scored a knock of 85 on the penultimate day in the third Test, he commented: "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 a pinch of salt," he added.
Raw Conversations and Steady Philosophy
The captain made the "weak men" comment subsequent to England were beaten in Brisbane to go two matches behind.
The England squad subsequently took a holiday to Noosa between the second and the upcoming matches.
Before the Adelaide contest, he revealed his team had held "honest" conversations and he had asked them to "display some fight" in their battle to stay alive in the series.
Nevertheless, the Kent batsman stated the guidance from Stokes and head coach McCullum had remained in line with their prior tenure in charge.
"The atmosphere has been extremely upbeat, unchanged," noted Crawley. "It's just trying to be optimistic, play our way, with great liberty. It felt like we could do something special entering this game."
The Hosts Close of Rapid Series Victory
Crawley's wicket late on Saturday came during a crucial three-wicket burst by Australia off-spinner Lyon.
The spinner's triple strike in 20 deliveries – including the wickets of Brook and Ben Stokes – meant England six down for 207 chasing a daunting total of 435.
Consequently, Australia need four wickets on Sunday's final day to secure an unassailable three-nil lead with three Tests.
Defeat will extend England's winless run in Australia to 18 consecutive matches and ensure a fourth straight away Ashes series defeat.
This series will be completed in just 11 days of play – with England fell the initial matches in rapid time respectively.
Not since 1921, when the Australians completed victory in the UK in eight days, has the outcome of the urn been determined so quickly. The hosts have also triumphed in eleven days on two other occasions in the modern era.
"This is disappointing," said Crawley. "Our goal was to win the Ashes and we're facing elimination at this point."
"There will still be significant pride at stake and we'll definitely view it with that mindset," he continued.
"The challenge has been difficult. Australia is a formidable side. It was inevitably hard coming here to face them. They entered as the front-runners and they've proven why."
Ollie Pope's Place In Question
While 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 fourth Test starting December 26th.
The Surrey batsman was out for 17 in England's second innings on Saturday, extending his modest returns versus the old enemy.
Across sixteen Ashes knocks, Pope has never made a half-century and boasts an average of just 17.62.
Only one other England player since 1900 – Dennis Amiss – has featured an equal number of innings in the top order in the Ashes and recorded a lower average.
However, Crawley insisted any notion Pope is under the microscope originates with "the media" – meaning the journalists – "and not within the team."
"We all know of his considerable talent," said he. "Ollie has enjoyed a productive year to be frank."
"He has produced some really good knocks. It is talk externally. There's no discussion like that regarding Pope in the camp," he concluded.
