England opening batter Zak Crawley has indicated he had no knowledge of statements made by skipper Stokes about the dressing room as no place for "weak men".
Stokes made this message in several conversations following his team's defeat in the second match of the Ashes series versus Australia previously.
In the lead-up to the Adelaide Test, where the visitors now face defeat with a match to spare, Stokes noted he had let his sentiment to "drift around" within the playing group.
"I have completed the necessary discussions in recent days that I needed to have done," said Stokes.
But, after Crawley made a knock of 85 on the penultimate day in Adelaide, he stated: "I missed those remarks."
"I wasn't actively searching for it. Our approach is to take everything that is said in the media with some skepticism," he added.
Frank Discussions and Consistent Messaging
The captain issued his "fragile individuals" comment after England were beaten in Brisbane to go two matches behind.
The team afterwards went on a break to a Queensland resort in the gap between the second and third Tests.
Before the Adelaide contest, Stokes said his team had held "raw" conversations 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 in line with their prior tenure in leadership.
"It's been extremely upbeat, the same as always," noted the opener. "The focus is just trying to be optimistic, play our way, with lots of freedom. We believed we were capable of something special entering this game."
Australia Close of Rapid Ashes Triumph
The opener's dismissal on day four was part of a crucial three-wicket burst by Australian off-spinner Nathan Lyon.
The spinner's triple strike in 20 deliveries – including the wickets of Brook and Stokes himself – meant England 207-6 chasing a notional target of 435.
Consequently, the home team need just four more wickets on Sunday's last day to secure an insurmountable three-nil advantage after three Tests.
Defeat would prolong England's winless run in Australia to 18 consecutive matches and condemn them to a fourth straight overseas Ashes loss.
The current battle will be completed in only eleven days of play – with England fell the initial matches in rapid time each.
The last time 1921, when Australia completed victory in the UK in eight days, has the outcome of the urn been determined so quickly. The hosts have also triumphed in 11 days on two other instances in the modern era.
"This is disheartening," admitted the batsman. "We came here to regain the Ashes and we're staring down the barrel now."
"There remains plenty to play for and we will certainly approach it like that," Crawley added.
"It's been tough. Australia is a formidable team. It was always going to be tough touring here to face them. They entered as the front-runners and they've proven why."
Ollie Pope's Position Under Scrutiny
Although Crawley's performance in the third Test probably answers doubts about his immediate place in the England team, Ollie Pope looks under immense pressure for his position in the fourth Test starting December 26th.
Pope fell for 17 in the team's second knock on day four, extending his modest returns versus the old enemy.
Across sixteen Ashes knocks, Pope has never made a fifty and boasts an average of just 17.62.
A solitary other England player since 1900 – Amiss – has featured an equal number of innings in the top six in Ashes Tests and recorded a poorer average.
But, the opener said any notion Pope is being scrutinised comes from "the media" – meaning the journalists – "and not within the team."
"The squad is fully aware of his considerable talent," said he. "He has had a good year if I'm honest."
"He has played some really good knocks. It is talk externally. There's no discussion of that nature on Ollie in the camp," Crawley finished.
