The English opener Zak Crawley has indicated he was not familiar with statements made by captain Stokes about the dressing room as no place for "those lacking fortitude".
Stokes delivered this message in several interviews following his team's loss in the second match of the Ashes versus Australia earlier this month.
Ahead of the Adelaide Test, where the visitors are staring at defeat with a match to spare, Stokes stated he had let his message to "drift around" among the playing group.
"I've done the necessary discussions in recent days that I needed to have done," remarked Stokes.
However, after Crawley scored a knock of 85 on the penultimate day in the third Test, he commented: "I didn't see that."
"I wasn't actively searching for it. We take everything that is said in the press with some skepticism," Crawley continued.
Frank Discussions and Steady Philosophy
The captain issued his "fragile individuals" observation subsequent to his side suffered a loss in Brisbane to fall two matches behind.
The England squad afterwards took a break to a Queensland resort in the gap between the second and third matches.
Before the Adelaide contest, he said his players had held "raw" talks and he had urged them to "display some fight" in their battle to stay in contention in the series.
Yet, Crawley asserted the messaging from Stokes and head coach Brendon McCullum had remained in line with their previous three years in leadership.
"It's been extremely upbeat, unchanged," said the opener. "It's on maintaining positivity, play our way, with great liberty. It felt like we could do something special going into this Test."
The Hosts On the Verge of Rapid Ashes Triumph
Crawley's wicket on day four came during a crucial three-wicket burst by Australia off-spinner Lyon.
Lyon's triple strike in a short spell – he also bowled Brook and Stokes himself – meant the chasing side six down for 207 in pursuit of a notional target of 435.
This means, the home team need just four more wickets on the final day to move to an insurmountable three-nil advantage with three matches played.
Defeat will extend England's drought in this country to 18 consecutive matches and ensure a fourth successive overseas Ashes loss.
This series is set to be decided in only 11 days of cricket – after England losing the first two Tests in rapid time each.
Not since 1921, when the Australians completed victory in the UK in eight days, has the outcome of the Ashes urn been decided more swiftly. The hosts have also won in 11 days on two other occasions in the 21st century.
"It's disappointing," admitted the batsman. "We came here to regain the Ashes and we're staring down the barrel now."
"There will still be significant pride at stake and we will definitely view it like that," Crawley added.
"It's been difficult. Australia is a very, very good team. It was inevitably tough coming here against them. They were the front-runners coming in to it have demonstrated their quality."
Pope's Place Under Scrutiny
While the opener's innings in Adelaide likely secures doubts about his short-term future in the side, Ollie Pope looks under immense pressure for his position in the Melbourne Test starting December 26th.
Pope was out for 17 runs in England's second knock on Saturday, adding to his modest returns against the old enemy.
Across 16 Ashes innings, the Surrey man has never made a half-century and boasts an average of just 17.62.
A solitary other English batsman in over a century – Dennis Amiss – has played an equal number of innings in the top order in Ashes Tests and recorded a lower average.
However, the opener said any notion Pope is under the microscope originates with "the media" – meaning the press – "not inside the camp."
"We all know of his considerable talent," added Crawley. "Ollie has enjoyed a good year to be frank."
"He has played several excellent innings. This is talk externally. There is no chat like that regarding Pope amongst the players," he concluded.
