The English opening batter Zak Crawley has indicated he was not familiar with comments made by skipper Stokes about the dressing room as no place for "weak men".
Stokes delivered those words in multiple interviews in the wake of his team's loss in the second match of the Ashes series against the Australians previously.
In the lead-up to the Adelaide Test, where the visitors now face a series loss at the earliest opportunity, the captain stated he had allowed his sentiment to "circulate freely" within the playing group.
"I've done the necessary discussions over the past two days that I required," remarked Stokes.
But, following Crawley scored a knock of 85 on the penultimate day in Adelaide, he commented: "I missed those remarks."
"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 suffered a loss in the second Test to go 2-0 down.
The England squad afterwards went on a holiday to Noosa in the gap between the second and third matches.
Before the Adelaide contest, he revealed his team had held "raw" conversations and he had urged them to "show a bit of dog" in their battle to stay alive in the series.
Yet, the Kent batsman stated the guidance from Stokes and head coach Brendon McCullum had stayed consistent with their previous tenure in charge.
"The atmosphere has been extremely upbeat, the same as always," noted Crawley. "The focus is just trying to be optimistic, playing our brand, with lots of freedom. It felt like we could do something special entering this Test."
Australia On the Verge of Historic Series Victory
Crawley's wicket on day four was part of a decisive three-wicket burst by Australian off-spinner Lyon.
The spinner's triple strike in a short spell – he also bowled Brook and Ben Stokes – meant England 207-6 in pursuit of a notional total of 435.
This means, Australia require four wickets on Sunday's last day to secure an insurmountable 3-0 advantage with three matches played.
Defeat would prolong England's drought in this country to 18 Tests and ensure a fourth straight away Ashes loss.
The current battle is set to be decided in just eleven days of cricket – after England losing the initial matches in two and four days respectively.
The last time 1921, when the Australians completed a series win in England 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 21st century.
"This is disheartening," admitted Crawley. "We came here to regain the Ashes and we're staring down the barrel now."
"There will still be plenty to play for and we'll definitely view it like that," he continued.
"The challenge has been difficult. Australia is a formidable team. It was inevitably hard coming here against them. They were the favourites coming in to it they've proven why."
Ollie Pope's Place In Question
Although the opener's innings in the third Test likely secures doubts about his immediate place in the England team, Ollie Pope appears under immense pressure for his spot in the Melbourne Test starting December 26th.
The Surrey batsman was out for 17 in England's second knock on Saturday, adding to his poor record versus the old enemy.
In 16 Ashes innings, the Surrey man has failed to score a fifty and averages just 17.62.
Only one other England player in over a century – Amiss – has played as many times in the top six in the Ashes and recorded a poorer average.
However, the opener insisted any notion Pope is under the microscope originates with "the media" – meaning the press – "not inside the camp."
"We all know how good of a player he is," said he. "Ollie has enjoyed a good year to be frank."
"He has played some really good knocks. It is talk from the outside. There's no chat of that nature on Ollie in the camp," he concluded.
