England opening batter Zak Crawley suggested he was not familiar with statements made by skipper Stokes about the dressing room not being "those lacking fortitude".
Stokes made this message in multiple conversations in the wake of England's loss in the second Ashes versus Australia previously.
Ahead of the Adelaide Test, where England are staring at defeat at the earliest opportunity, the captain stated he had let his sentiment to "circulate freely" among the squad.
"I have completed all the talking in recent days that I needed to have done," said Stokes.
However, after the opener scored 85 on the penultimate day in Adelaide, he stated: "I missed those remarks."
"I wasn't actively searching for it. Our approach is to take anything stated in the press with some skepticism," Crawley continued.
Raw Conversations and Steady Philosophy
Stokes issued his "fragile individuals" comment after his side suffered a loss in the second Test to fall 2-0 down.
The team subsequently took a holiday to Noosa between the second and the upcoming Tests.
Prior to this match, Stokes revealed his team had held "raw" talks and he had urged them to "show a bit of dog" in their battle to remain alive in the Ashes battle.
Yet, the Kent batsman asserted the guidance from the captain and coach Brendon McCullum had stayed consistent with their prior three years in leadership.
"The atmosphere has been very positive, unchanged," noted Crawley. "The focus is on maintaining positivity, playing our brand, with great liberty. It felt like we were capable of an extraordinary feat entering this game."
Australia On the Verge of Historic Series Victory
The opener's dismissal late on Saturday came during a decisive triple-strike by Australia off-spinner Lyon.
Lyon's three wickets in 20 deliveries – he also bowled Brook and Stokes himself – meant England 207-6 in pursuit of a daunting target of 435.
Consequently, the home team need just four more wickets on the last day to secure an unassailable 3-0 lead after three matches played.
Defeat will extend the English team's winless run in this country to 18 Tests and condemn them to a fourth successive overseas Ashes series defeat.
The current battle will be completed in just eleven days of cricket – after England fell the first two Tests in rapid time each.
Not since 1921, when Australia completed a series win in the UK in eight days, has the destination of the urn been decided so quickly. Australia have also won in eleven days on two other occasions in the 21st century.
"This is disappointing," said the batsman. "We came here to win the Ashes and now we are facing elimination now."
"There remains significant pride at stake and we will definitely view it like that," he continued.
"It's been difficult. They're a formidable team. It was inevitably hard touring here to face them. They entered as the favourites and they've proven why."
Pope's Place In Question
While Crawley's innings in the third Test probably answers questions about his short-term future in the England team, Ollie Pope looks under immense pressure for his position in the fourth Test on Boxing Day.
The Surrey batsman fell for 17 runs in England's second innings on Saturday, extending his poor record against Australia.
Across 16 Ashes innings, Pope has never made a fifty and averages just 17.62.
Only one other England player since 1900 – Amiss – has played as many times in the top order in the Ashes and returned a lower average.
However, the opener insisted any notion Pope is under the microscope comes from "you guys" – meaning the journalists – "not inside the camp."
"The squad is fully aware how good of a player he is," said Crawley. "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 like that on Ollie in the camp," he finished.
