The English opener Zak Crawley has indicated he had no knowledge of comments made by captain Stokes about the team environment not being "weak men".
Stokes made those words in multiple conversations in the wake of his team's defeat in the second match of the Ashes series against the Australians previously.
In the lead-up to the Adelaide Test, where the visitors are staring at defeat with a match to spare, the captain noted he had allowed his message to "circulate freely" within the squad.
"I have completed all the talking over the past two days that I required," remarked Stokes.
However, after Crawley scored a knock of 85 on the penultimate 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 anything stated in the media with some skepticism," Crawley continued.
Raw Conversations and Steady Philosophy
The captain issued his "fragile individuals" comment after his side were beaten in Brisbane to fall two matches behind.
The England squad subsequently took a holiday to Noosa in the gap between the second and the upcoming matches.
Before this match, Stokes said his players had held "raw" talks and he had asked them to "display some fight" in their battle to remain alive in the series.
Yet, Crawley stated the messaging from Stokes and coach McCullum had remained consistent with their previous three years in charge.
"It's been extremely upbeat, unchanged," said the opener. "It's just trying to be optimistic, play our way, with lots of freedom. It felt like we could do an extraordinary feat going into this Test."
The Hosts On the Verge of Rapid Ashes Triumph
Crawley's dismissal late on Saturday came during a decisive three-wicket burst by Australia spinner Lyon.
The spinner's triple strike in 20 deliveries – he also bowled Harry Brook and Ben Stokes – meant the chasing side 207-6 in pursuit of a notional target of 435 runs.
This means, Australia require four wickets on the last day to move to an insurmountable 3-0 advantage after three Tests.
A loss will extend England's winless run in this country to 18 consecutive matches and ensure a fourth straight away Ashes series defeat.
This series is set to be decided in just 11 days of cricket – after England fell the first two Tests in rapid time each.
The last time 1921, when the Australians sealed a series win in the UK in eight days, has the destination of the urn been decided so quickly. Australia have also triumphed in 11 days on two other instances in the modern era.
"This is disappointing," admitted the batsman. "We came here to regain the Ashes and now we are staring down the barrel at this point."
"There remains plenty to play for and we'll certainly approach it with that mindset," he continued.
"It's been tough. They're a very, very good team. It was inevitably tough touring here against them. They entered as the front-runners and they've proven why."
Ollie Pope's Position Under Scrutiny
Although Crawley's innings in the third Test probably answers doubts about his short-term place in the England team, Pope appears under threat for his position in the Melbourne Test on Boxing Day.
The Surrey batsman fell for 17 in the team's second knock on day four, adding to his modest returns against the old enemy.
In sixteen Ashes knocks, the Surrey man has failed to score a half-century and boasts an average of just 17.62.
A solitary other England player since 1900 – Dennis Amiss – has played as many times in the top order in Ashes Tests and recorded a lower average.
But, Crawley said any suggestion Pope is being scrutinised comes from "the media" – meaning the press – "and not within the team."
"We all know how good of a player he is," said he. "He has had a good year if I'm honest."
"He has played some really good knocks. It is talk from the outside. There's no discussion like that regarding Pope in the camp," he finished.
