The English opening batter Zak Crawley suggested he was not familiar with statements from skipper Stokes regarding the team environment not being "weak men".
Stokes delivered those words in several conversations following England's defeat in the second Ashes against the Australians previously.
In the lead-up to the third Test, where England now face a series loss at the earliest opportunity, the captain stated he had let his sentiment to "drift around" among the playing group.
"I have completed the necessary discussions over the past two days that I required," said Stokes.
But, after Crawley made a knock of 85 on the penultimate day in Adelaide, he stated: "I didn't see that."
"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 "weak men" observation subsequent to his side suffered a loss in the second Test to fall two matches behind.
The England squad subsequently took a break to a Queensland resort in the gap between the second and the upcoming matches.
Before the Adelaide contest, Stokes revealed his team had held "raw" talks and he had asked them to "show a bit of dog" in their effort to remain in contention in the series.
Yet, the Kent batsman asserted the messaging from Stokes and coach McCullum had remained in line with their prior tenure in charge.
"The atmosphere has been extremely upbeat, unchanged," said the opener. "It's just trying to be optimistic, playing our brand, with lots of freedom. We believed we could do an extraordinary feat going into this game."
The Hosts Close of Rapid Ashes Triumph
Crawley's wicket late on Saturday was part of a decisive three-wicket burst by Australian spinner Lyon.
Lyon's three wickets in a short spell – including the wickets of Harry Brook and Stokes himself – left the chasing side 207-6 in pursuit of a notional target of 435 runs.
This means, the home team require four wickets on the final day to secure an insurmountable three-nil lead after three matches played.
Defeat will extend England's winless run in Australia to 18 consecutive matches and condemn them to a fourth straight away Ashes series defeat.
This series will be completed in just eleven days of cricket – after England fell the first two Tests in two and four days each.
Not since 1921, when the Australians completed a series win in the UK in eight days, has the outcome 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 win the Ashes and we're staring down the barrel now."
"There remains plenty to play for and we will definitely view it like that," Crawley added.
"The challenge has been tough. They're a formidable team. It was inevitably tough touring here against them. They entered as the front-runners coming in to it they've proven why."
Ollie Pope's Place In Question
While the opener's innings in the third Test probably answers doubts about his immediate future in the England team, Pope looks under threat for his spot in the fourth Test starting December 26th.
Pope fell for 17 in England's second knock on Saturday, extending his modest returns against Australia.
In sixteen Ashes knocks, the Surrey man has never made a half-century and boasts an average of 17.62.
A solitary other England player in over a century – Amiss – has featured as many times in the top six in the Ashes and recorded a poorer average.
But, the opener insisted any suggestion Pope is being scrutinised comes from "you guys" – meaning the press – "and not within the team."
"We all know of his considerable talent," added Crawley. "He has had a good year to be frank."
"He has produced several excellent innings. It is talk externally. There is no chat of that nature regarding Pope in the camp," he finished.
