England opening batter Zak Crawley has indicated he had no knowledge of comments from captain Stokes regarding the dressing room not being "those lacking fortitude".
The all-rounder delivered those words in several interviews following his team's defeat in the second Ashes against the Australians earlier this month.
In the lead-up to the third Test, where England now face a series loss at the earliest opportunity, Stokes noted he had allowed his message to "drift around" among the playing group.
"I've done the necessary discussions over the past two days that I needed to have done," remarked Stokes.
However, after the opener scored a knock of 85 on the penultimate day in the third Test, he stated: "I didn't see that."
"I didn't see and wasn't really looking out for it. We take everything that is said in the media with some skepticism," he added.
Frank Discussions and Steady Philosophy
The captain issued his "weak men" comment subsequent to his side suffered a loss in the second Test to fall two matches behind.
The England squad subsequently went on a holiday to a Queensland resort between the second and third Tests.
Prior to this match, he revealed his team had held "honest" talks and he had urged them to "display some fight" in their effort to stay alive in the Ashes battle.
Nevertheless, Crawley asserted the messaging from the captain and coach Brendon McCullum had stayed consistent with their prior three years in charge.
"It's been very positive, unchanged," said Crawley. "The focus is just trying to be optimistic, play our way, with great liberty. We believed we could do something special going into this Test."
The Hosts On the Verge of Historic Ashes Triumph
The opener's dismissal on day four came during a crucial triple-strike by Australian off-spinner Lyon.
The spinner's triple strike in a short spell – he also bowled Harry Brook and Stokes himself – left the chasing side six down for 207 chasing a daunting total of 435.
This means, Australia require just four more wickets on Sunday's final day to move to an insurmountable three-nil lead after three matches played.
A loss would prolong the English team's drought in this country to 18 consecutive matches and condemn them to a fourth straight away Ashes loss.
This series is set to be decided in just 11 days of cricket – after England losing the first two Tests in rapid time respectively.
Not since 1921, when the Australians completed a series win in the UK in eight days, has the destination of the urn been decided more swiftly. Australia have also triumphed in eleven days on two other instances in the 21st century.
"It's disappointing," admitted the batsman. "We came here to regain the Ashes and now we are staring down the barrel now."
"There remains plenty to play for and we'll certainly approach it like that," he continued.
"It's been difficult. Australia is a very, very good side. It was inevitably hard coming here to face them. They entered as the front-runners and they've proven why."
Pope's Place Under Scrutiny
While the opener's performance in Adelaide probably answers doubts about his short-term place in the side, Ollie Pope appears under immense pressure for his spot in the fourth Test starting December 26th.
The Surrey batsman fell for 17 in the team's second knock on Saturday, extending his modest returns versus Australia.
In sixteen Ashes knocks, the Surrey man has never made a fifty and averages just 17.62.
A solitary other England player since 1900 – Dennis Amiss – has played as many times in the top six in the Ashes and recorded a poorer average.
But, Crawley said any suggestion his teammate is under the microscope originates with "the media" – meaning the journalists – "and not within the team."
"The squad is fully aware of his considerable talent," said Crawley. "Ollie has enjoyed a productive year to be frank."
"He has produced several excellent innings. It is talk externally. There's no chat like that on Ollie in the camp," he concluded.
