The English opening batter Zak Crawley has indicated he had no knowledge of statements from captain Stokes about the dressing room not being "those lacking fortitude".
The all-rounder delivered this message in several conversations following England's defeat in the second Ashes against Australia previously.
Ahead of the third Test, where England now face a series loss at the earliest opportunity, the captain noted he had let his sentiment to "drift around" within the playing group.
"I have completed all the talking over the past two days that I needed to have done," remarked Stokes.
But, after the opener made 85 on the fourth day in the third Test, he commented: "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
Stokes made the "fragile individuals" comment after his side were beaten in the second Test to fall two matches behind.
The England squad subsequently took a break to a Queensland resort in the gap between the second and the upcoming matches.
Before the Adelaide contest, he said his team had held "raw" conversations and he had urged them to "display some fight" in their battle to stay in contention in the Ashes battle.
Yet, the Kent batsman asserted the guidance from the captain and head coach McCullum had remained in line with their prior tenure in leadership.
"The atmosphere has been extremely upbeat, unchanged," said the opener. "It's on maintaining positivity, playing our brand, with great liberty. It felt like we could do an extraordinary feat going into this Test."
Australia Close of Rapid Ashes Triumph
The opener's dismissal on day four was part of a decisive triple-strike by Australia off-spinner Lyon.
The spinner's three wickets in 20 deliveries – he also bowled Brook and Ben Stokes – left England six down for 207 in pursuit of a notional total of 435 runs.
This means, Australia require four wickets on the last day to secure an insurmountable 3-0 lead after three matches played.
A loss will extend England's drought in this country to 18 consecutive matches and ensure a fourth successive away Ashes loss.
This series is set to be decided in just 11 days of play – after England losing the initial matches in rapid time each.
The last time 1921, when Australia completed a series win in England in eight days, has the outcome of the urn been decided more swiftly. Australia have also won in eleven days on two other occasions in the modern era.
"It's disappointing," said the batsman. "We came here to win the Ashes and we're facing elimination at this point."
"There will still be significant pride at stake and we will certainly approach it like that," Crawley added.
"It's been tough. They're a very, very good side. It was inevitably hard coming here to face them. They entered as the favourites coming in to it have demonstrated their quality."
Ollie Pope's Place In Question
Although the opener's innings in Adelaide likely secures doubts about his immediate place in the England team, Pope looks under threat for his position in the fourth Test starting December 26th.
Pope fell for 17 in the team's second innings on day four, extending his modest returns versus the old enemy.
Across 16 Ashes innings, Pope has failed to score a fifty and boasts an average of just 17.62.
Only one other England player since 1900 – Dennis Amiss – has played as many times in the top order in the Ashes and returned a poorer average.
However, the opener said any suggestion his teammate is being scrutinised originates with "you guys" – meaning the journalists – "and not within the team."
"We all know of his considerable talent," added he. "Ollie has enjoyed a good year to be frank."
"He has produced some really good knocks. This is noise externally. There's no discussion of that nature on Ollie amongst the players," Crawley finished.
