The English opener Zak Crawley suggested he had no knowledge of statements made by captain Stokes about the dressing room as no place for "weak men".
Stokes made those words in several conversations in the wake of his team's defeat in the second match of the Ashes series versus the Australians previously.
In the lead-up to the Adelaide Test, where the visitors are staring at a series loss with a match to spare, Stokes noted he had allowed his message to "drift around" within the playing group.
"I have completed all the talking over the past two days that I needed to have done," said Stokes.
But, following Crawley made 85 on the penultimate day in the third Test, he commented: "I didn't see that."
"I didn't see and wasn't really looking out for it. Our approach is to take anything stated in the media with a pinch of salt," Crawley continued.
Frank Discussions and Consistent Messaging
The captain made the "fragile individuals" observation subsequent to England suffered a loss in the second Test to fall two matches behind.
The team subsequently went on a holiday to Noosa in the gap between the second and third matches.
Prior to the Adelaide contest, he said his players had held "raw" talks and he had urged them to "show a bit of dog" in their effort to stay alive in the Ashes battle.
Yet, Crawley asserted the guidance from the captain and coach McCullum had stayed in line with their previous three years in charge.
"It's been very positive, the same as always," said the opener. "It's just trying to be optimistic, playing our brand, with great liberty. It felt like we could do something special entering this Test."
The Hosts On the Verge of Rapid Ashes Triumph
The opener's wicket on day four was part of a crucial three-wicket burst by Australian spinner Lyon.
The spinner's triple strike in 20 deliveries – he also bowled Harry Brook and Stokes himself – meant England 207-6 chasing a daunting target of 435 runs.
Consequently, the home team need just four more wickets on the final day to move to an insurmountable three-nil advantage with three matches played.
A loss would prolong the English team's drought in Australia to 18 Tests and ensure a fourth straight away Ashes defeat.
This series will be completed in just eleven days of play – with England losing the first two Tests in rapid time respectively.
Not since 1921, when Australia completed victory in the UK in eight days, has the destination of the Ashes urn been determined so quickly. Australia have also triumphed in eleven days on two other occasions in the modern era.
"It's disheartening," admitted the batsman. "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 will certainly approach it with that mindset," Crawley added.
"It's been tough. They're a formidable side. It was always going to be tough touring here to face them. They were the front-runners and have demonstrated their quality."
Pope's Position Under Scrutiny
Although the opener's innings in Adelaide probably answers doubts about his immediate future in the side, Ollie Pope appears under threat for his position in the Melbourne Test starting December 26th.
The Surrey batsman was out for 17 in England's second knock on Saturday, extending his poor record against the old enemy.
Across sixteen Ashes knocks, Pope has never made a half-century and boasts an average of 17.62.
Only one other England player since 1900 – Amiss – has played an equal number of innings in the top order in Ashes Tests and returned a lower average.
However, Crawley said any notion Pope is under the microscope originates with "you guys" – meaning the journalists – "not inside the camp."
"We all know of his considerable talent," said Crawley. "He has had a productive year to be frank."
"He has produced some really good knocks. It is noise externally. There is no chat like that regarding Pope amongst the players," Crawley finished.
