The English opening batter Zak Crawley has indicated he was not familiar with comments from captain Stokes about the dressing room not being "weak men".
The all-rounder made this message in several conversations in the wake of England's defeat in the second match of the Ashes against the Australians earlier this month.
Ahead of the Adelaide Test, where the visitors are staring at a series loss with a match to spare, the captain stated he had let his sentiment to "circulate freely" among the playing group.
"I've done all the talking over the past two days that I needed to have done," remarked the England leader.
However, after the opener made 85 on the fourth day in Adelaide, he stated: "I didn't see that."
"I wasn't actively searching for it. We take everything that is said in the media with a pinch of salt," Crawley continued.
Frank Discussions and Steady Philosophy
The captain issued his "weak men" observation after England suffered a loss in the second Test to go two matches behind.
The England squad subsequently took a holiday to Noosa between the second and third Tests.
Prior to this match, Stokes said 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 the captain and head coach Brendon McCullum had stayed consistent with their prior three years in leadership.
"The atmosphere has been extremely upbeat, unchanged," noted the opener. "The focus is just trying to be optimistic, playing our brand, with great liberty. We believed we could do something special going into this game."
The Hosts On the Verge of Rapid Ashes Triumph
The opener's wicket on day four was part of a decisive three-wicket burst by Australia off-spinner Lyon.
The spinner's three wickets in 20 deliveries – he also bowled Harry Brook and Ben Stokes – left England six down for 207 chasing a notional target of 435 runs.
Consequently, the home team require four wickets on the final day to move to an unassailable 3-0 advantage after three matches played.
Defeat would prolong the English team's drought in this country to 18 Tests and condemn them to a fourth successive overseas Ashes series loss.
This series will be completed in just 11 days of play – after England losing the initial matches in two and four days respectively.
The last time 1921, when the Australians completed victory in England in eight days, has the destination of the urn been decided more swiftly. The hosts have also triumphed in eleven days on two other occasions in the 21st century.
"This is disheartening," said Crawley. "Our goal was to regain the Ashes and we're facing elimination now."
"There will still be significant pride at stake and we'll certainly approach it like that," he continued.
"It's been tough. Australia is a formidable side. It was inevitably tough touring here against them. They were the favourites coming in to it have demonstrated their quality."
Pope's Place Under Scrutiny
While the opener's innings in the third Test likely secures doubts about his short-term future in the England team, Ollie Pope appears under immense pressure for his position in the Melbourne Test starting December 26th.
Pope was out for 17 runs in the team's second innings on Saturday, extending his poor record versus the old enemy.
In 16 Ashes innings, the Surrey man has never made a fifty and averages 17.62.
A solitary other England player in over a century – Amiss – has played as many times in the top six in the Ashes and recorded a lower average.
However, the opener insisted any notion his teammate is being scrutinised comes from "you guys" – referring to the journalists – "and not within the team."
"The squad is fully aware how good of a player he is," added he. "He has had a productive year to be frank."
"He has produced some really good knocks. It is noise externally. There's no discussion like that regarding Pope in the camp," Crawley finished.