The English opener Zak Crawley suggested he was not familiar with statements from captain Stokes about the team environment as no place for "weak men".
Stokes made those words in multiple conversations following his team's loss in the second Ashes series versus the Australians previously.
Ahead of the Adelaide Test, where the visitors are staring at defeat at the earliest opportunity, Stokes noted he had allowed his message to "drift around" within the playing group.
"I've done the necessary discussions in recent days that I required," said Stokes.
But, after the opener scored 85 on the penultimate day in Adelaide, he stated: "I missed those remarks."
"I wasn't actively searching for it. We take anything stated in the media with some skepticism," he added.
Raw Conversations and Consistent Messaging
Stokes made the "weak men" observation subsequent to England suffered a loss in Brisbane to fall 2-0 down.
The England squad afterwards went on a break to a Queensland resort between the second and the upcoming matches.
Before the Adelaide contest, Stokes said his team had held "honest" conversations and he had urged them to "show a bit of dog" in their effort to stay alive in the Ashes battle.
Yet, the Kent batsman asserted the guidance from Stokes and coach McCullum had stayed in line with their prior three years in leadership.
"The atmosphere has been very positive, the same as always," said Crawley. "The focus is just trying to be optimistic, playing our brand, with great liberty. We believed we could do something special going into this Test."
The Hosts On the Verge of Rapid Ashes Triumph
The opener's wicket on day four came during a decisive triple-strike by Australian spinner Lyon.
The spinner's triple strike in 20 deliveries – including the wickets of Brook and Ben Stokes – meant England 207-6 chasing a notional target of 435.
This means, Australia require four wickets on Sunday's final day to secure an insurmountable three-nil advantage after three matches played.
A loss would prolong England's drought in Australia to 18 consecutive matches and condemn them to a fourth straight away Ashes series loss.
This series is set to be decided in only 11 days of cricket – after England fell the first two Tests in rapid time 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 disheartening," said Crawley. "Our goal was to win the Ashes and now we are facing elimination now."
"There remains plenty to play for and we'll definitely view it like that," Crawley added.
"The challenge has been difficult. Australia is a formidable team. It was inevitably hard touring here to face them. They were the favourites and have demonstrated their quality."
Pope's Position Under Scrutiny
Although the opener's performance in the third Test likely secures doubts about his immediate place in the England team, Pope appears under threat for his position in the Melbourne Test on Boxing Day.
Pope was out for 17 runs in England's second knock on day four, extending his poor record versus Australia.
Across 16 Ashes innings, Pope has never made a fifty and boasts an average of 17.62.
Only one other England player in over a century – Dennis Amiss – has featured as many times in the top six in Ashes Tests and returned a lower average.
However, the opener insisted any suggestion Pope is under the microscope originates with "you guys" – referring to the journalists – "and not within the team."
"We all know of his considerable talent," said Crawley. "He has had a productive year to be frank."
"He has played several excellent innings. It is noise from the outside. There is no chat like that regarding Pope amongst the players," Crawley concluded.
