The English opening batter Zak Crawley has indicated he was not familiar with statements from captain Stokes about the dressing room not being "weak men".
Stokes made those words in several conversations following his team's defeat in the second match of the Ashes series against Australia previously.
In the lead-up to the Adelaide Test, where England now face defeat with a match to spare, Stokes noted he had let his message to "circulate freely" within the squad.
"I've done the necessary discussions over the past two days that I needed to have done," said the England leader.
However, after the opener scored a knock of 85 on the penultimate day in Adelaide, he commented: "I missed those remarks."
"I wasn't actively searching for it. We take everything that is said in the press with a pinch of salt," Crawley continued.
Raw Conversations and Consistent Messaging
The captain issued his "fragile individuals" observation subsequent to England were beaten in Brisbane to fall 2-0 down.
The team afterwards went on a holiday to a Queensland resort in the gap between the second and third matches.
Prior to this match, he said his team had held "raw" conversations and he had asked them to "display some fight" in their effort to stay alive in the series.
Nevertheless, Crawley asserted the messaging from Stokes and coach Brendon McCullum had remained consistent with their prior three years in charge.
"It's been very positive, unchanged," noted Crawley. "The focus is just trying to be optimistic, playing our brand, with lots of freedom. It felt like we could do an extraordinary feat going into this game."
The Hosts Close of Historic Ashes Triumph
Crawley's wicket 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 Brook and Stokes himself – left England six down for 207 chasing a notional target of 435.
Consequently, Australia require just four more wickets on the last day to secure an insurmountable 3-0 advantage with three Tests.
Defeat would prolong the English team's winless run in this country to 18 Tests and ensure a fourth straight away Ashes series loss.
This series is set to be decided in only eleven days of play – with England fell the initial matches in rapid time respectively.
The last time 1921, when Australia sealed a series win in the UK in eight days, has the destination of the Ashes urn been determined more swiftly. The hosts have also won in eleven days on two other instances in the modern era.
"This is disheartening," admitted Crawley. "Our goal was to win the Ashes and now we are facing elimination at this point."
"There will still be plenty to play for and we will definitely view it with that mindset," he continued.
"The challenge has been difficult. They're a formidable side. It was always going to be tough coming here to face them. They entered as the front-runners coming in to it they've proven why."
Pope's Position In Question
While the opener's performance in Adelaide probably answers questions about his immediate place in the England team, Ollie Pope looks under immense pressure for his position in the fourth Test starting December 26th.
Pope was out for 17 runs in England's second innings on day four, adding to his poor record against the old enemy.
Across 16 Ashes innings, Pope has failed to score a fifty and averages just 17.62.
A solitary other English batsman in over a century – Dennis Amiss – has featured an equal number of innings in the top six in the Ashes and recorded a poorer average.
But, the opener said any notion Pope is being scrutinised comes from "the media" – meaning the press – "not inside the camp."
"The squad is fully aware how good of a player he is," said he. "Ollie has enjoyed a productive year if I'm honest."
"He has produced some really good knocks. This is talk from the outside. There's no discussion like that on Ollie amongst the players," he concluded.
