The English opener Zak Crawley has indicated he was not familiar with comments from captain Stokes regarding the dressing room not being "those lacking fortitude".
Stokes made those words in multiple conversations following his team's defeat in the second Ashes versus Australia previously.
Ahead of the Adelaide Test, where the visitors are staring at defeat with a match to spare, Stokes noted he had allowed his sentiment to "drift around" within the squad.
"I've done all the talking in recent days that I needed to have done," remarked the England leader.
But, following the opener scored 85 on the fourth day in Adelaide, he commented: "I didn't see that."
"I didn't see and wasn't really looking out for it. We take anything stated in the press with a pinch of salt," he added.
Frank Discussions and Steady Philosophy
The captain made the "weak men" comment subsequent to his side were beaten in Brisbane to go 2-0 down.
The team afterwards took a holiday to a Queensland resort in the gap between the second and third matches.
Prior to the Adelaide contest, he revealed his players had held "raw" talks and he had urged them to "display some fight" in their battle to remain alive in the Ashes battle.
Nevertheless, Crawley asserted the guidance from Stokes and coach McCullum had stayed consistent with their prior tenure in charge.
"The atmosphere has been very positive, the same as always," noted Crawley. "The focus is on maintaining positivity, playing our brand, with great liberty. We believed we could do something special entering this Test."
Australia On the Verge of Rapid Series Victory
Crawley's dismissal late on Saturday was part of a crucial triple-strike by Australia off-spinner Lyon.
The spinner's triple strike in 20 deliveries – including the wickets of Harry Brook and Ben Stokes – left England six down for 207 in pursuit of a daunting target of 435 runs.
This means, Australia require four wickets on the final day to secure an insurmountable 3-0 advantage after three matches played.
Defeat will extend the English team's drought in this country to 18 Tests and ensure a fourth straight away Ashes loss.
This series will be completed in only 11 days of cricket – after England fell the first two Tests in two and four days respectively.
Not since 1921, when Australia completed a series win in the UK in eight days, has the outcome of the Ashes urn been determined so quickly. Australia have also won in eleven days on two other instances in the modern era.
"This is disheartening," said the batsman. "We came here to win the Ashes and now we are staring down the barrel at this point."
"There will still be plenty to play for and we'll certainly approach it with that mindset," Crawley added.
"It's been difficult. They're a very, very good team. It was inevitably hard coming here against them. They were the favourites coming in to it they've proven why."
Pope's Place In Question
While the opener's innings in Adelaide likely secures doubts about his immediate place in the side, Pope looks under threat 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 poor record against Australia.
In sixteen Ashes knocks, the Surrey man has failed to score a half-century and averages just 17.62.
Only one other English batsman in over a century – Amiss – has featured as many times in the top six in Ashes Tests and returned a lower average.
But, Crawley said any notion Pope is under the microscope comes from "you guys" – meaning the press – "and not within the team."
"The squad is fully aware how good of a player he is," added he. "He has had a productive year to be frank."
"He has played several excellent innings. It is noise externally. There's no discussion of that nature on Ollie in the camp," Crawley concluded.
