England opening batter Zak Crawley suggested he was not familiar with comments made by skipper Stokes regarding the dressing room as no place for "weak men".
Stokes delivered those words in multiple conversations in the wake of England's loss in the second match of the Ashes against the Australians previously.
In the lead-up to the third Test, where the visitors now face a series loss at the earliest opportunity, Stokes stated he had allowed his sentiment to "drift around" within the squad.
"I have completed all the talking over the past two days that I required," said the England leader.
But, after the opener scored 85 on the fourth day in Adelaide, he stated: "I didn't see that."
"I didn't see and wasn't really looking out for it. We take anything stated in the press with some skepticism," he added.
Raw Conversations and Consistent Messaging
Stokes issued his "weak men" comment subsequent to his side were beaten in the second Test to go two matches behind.
The team afterwards took a holiday to a Queensland resort in the gap between the second and third Tests.
Before the Adelaide contest, Stokes said his team had held "honest" talks and he had asked them to "display some fight" in their battle to stay alive in the Ashes battle.
Nevertheless, Crawley stated the guidance from the captain and head coach McCullum had stayed in line with their previous three years in leadership.
"The atmosphere has been extremely upbeat, unchanged," said Crawley. "The focus is just trying to be optimistic, playing our brand, with great liberty. We believed we were capable of something special entering this game."
The Hosts Close of Historic Series Victory
Crawley's dismissal on day four came during a crucial triple-strike by Australia spinner Lyon.
Lyon's three wickets in 20 deliveries – he also bowled Brook and Ben Stokes – meant the chasing side six down for 207 in pursuit of a notional target of 435.
This means, Australia require just four more wickets on the last day to secure an insurmountable three-nil advantage after three matches played.
A loss would prolong the English team's drought in this country to 18 Tests and condemn them to a fourth straight away Ashes defeat.
The current battle will be completed in only 11 days of play – after England losing the initial matches in two and four days respectively.
Not since 1921, when the Australians sealed a series win in the UK in eight days, has the outcome of the Ashes urn been decided so quickly. Australia have also won in 11 days on two other instances in the modern era.
"This is disappointing," admitted Crawley. "Our goal was to win the Ashes and we're facing elimination now."
"There will still be significant pride at stake and we'll certainly approach it like that," Crawley added.
"It's been difficult. Australia is a formidable side. It was inevitably hard coming here to face them. They entered as the favourites coming in to it have demonstrated their quality."
Ollie Pope's Place In Question
Although the opener's innings in the third Test likely secures questions about his immediate future in the England team, Ollie Pope appears under threat for his spot in the Melbourne Test on Boxing Day.
Pope was out for 17 in England's second innings on Saturday, adding to his poor record 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 English batsman in over a century – Dennis Amiss – has played an equal number of innings in the top order in the Ashes and recorded a lower average.
But, Crawley said any notion his teammate is being scrutinised comes from "you guys" – meaning the journalists – "and not within the team."
"We all know how good of a player he is," added Crawley. "He has had a good year to be frank."
"He has played several excellent innings. It is talk from the outside. There is no chat like that on Ollie in the camp," Crawley finished.
