England opening batter Zak Crawley has indicated he was not familiar with comments from skipper Stokes about the dressing room not being "those lacking fortitude".
Stokes made those words in several interviews in the wake of England's loss in the second match of the Ashes against the Australians previously.
Ahead of the third Test, where the visitors now face a series loss with a match to spare, Stokes noted he had let his sentiment to "circulate freely" within the playing group.
"I have completed all the talking over the past two days that I required," remarked the England leader.
However, after Crawley made a knock of 85 on the fourth day in the third Test, he commented: "I missed those remarks."
"I didn't see and wasn't really looking out for it. We take anything stated in the media with a pinch of salt," Crawley continued.
Raw Conversations and Steady Philosophy
Stokes issued his "fragile individuals" observation after England were beaten in the second Test to go two matches behind.
The team subsequently took a holiday to Noosa in the gap between the second and the upcoming Tests.
Prior to this match, he revealed his team had held "raw" talks and he had asked them to "show a bit of dog" in their effort to stay alive in the Ashes battle.
Yet, the Kent batsman stated the guidance from Stokes and coach Brendon McCullum had stayed consistent with their previous three years in leadership.
"It's been very positive, the same as always," noted Crawley. "It's just trying to be optimistic, play our way, with lots of freedom. It felt like we could do something special going into this game."
The Hosts On the Verge of Historic Series Victory
The opener's dismissal late on Saturday was part of a decisive triple-strike by Australia off-spinner Lyon.
The spinner's three wickets in a short spell – he also bowled Brook and Stokes himself – meant England six down for 207 in pursuit of a notional target of 435 runs.
Consequently, Australia need just four more wickets on the last day to move to an insurmountable 3-0 lead with three Tests.
A loss will extend England's winless run in Australia to 18 consecutive matches and condemn them to a fourth successive away Ashes defeat.
The current battle is set to be decided in only eleven days of play – with England fell the initial matches in two and four days respectively.
Not since 1921, when Australia sealed a series win in the UK in eight days, has the destination of the urn been determined so quickly. Australia have also won in 11 days on two other instances in the 21st century.
"This is disappointing," said the batsman. "We came here to regain the Ashes and now we are facing elimination at this point."
"There will still be plenty to play for and we'll definitely view it with that mindset," he continued.
"It's been difficult. They're a very, very good team. It was inevitably tough coming here against them. They entered as the front-runners coming in to it they've proven why."
Pope's Position In Question
Although the opener's innings in Adelaide probably answers questions about his immediate place in the side, Pope looks under immense pressure for his position in the fourth Test on Boxing Day.
The Surrey batsman was out for 17 runs in England's second innings on day four, extending his poor record versus Australia.
In sixteen Ashes knocks, Pope has failed to score a half-century and averages just 17.62.
A solitary other English batsman in over a century – Dennis Amiss – has played an equal number of innings in the top six in Ashes Tests and recorded a lower average.
But, the opener said any suggestion Pope is under the microscope comes from "the media" – referring to the journalists – "and not within the team."
"We all know how good of a player he is," added he. "He has had a productive year if I'm honest."
"He has played some really good knocks. It is talk from the outside. There is no discussion of that nature on Ollie in the camp," Crawley finished.
