The English opening batter Zak Crawley has indicated he was not familiar with comments from skipper Stokes about the team environment not being "weak men".
Stokes made those words in multiple conversations in the wake of his team's loss in the second Ashes against Australia previously.
In the lead-up to the Adelaide Test, where the visitors are staring at a series loss at the earliest opportunity, Stokes stated he had let his sentiment to "drift around" among the squad.
"I've done the necessary discussions over the past two days that I needed to have done," said Stokes.
But, after Crawley scored a knock of 85 on the fourth day in the third Test, he commented: "I missed those remarks."
"I wasn't actively searching for it. We take everything that is said in the press with some skepticism," Crawley continued.
Raw Conversations and Consistent Messaging
Stokes made the "weak men" comment subsequent to his side suffered a loss in Brisbane to go two matches behind.
The England squad afterwards went on a break to Noosa in the gap between the second and third Tests.
Before this match, he said his team had held "raw" talks and he had asked them to "show a bit of dog" in their battle to stay alive in the series.
Yet, the Kent batsman stated the messaging from the captain and coach McCullum had stayed in line with their prior three years in charge.
"The atmosphere has been very positive, unchanged," noted Crawley. "It's just trying to be optimistic, playing our brand, with great liberty. It felt like we were capable of an extraordinary feat going into this Test."
The Hosts On the Verge of Rapid Series Victory
The opener's dismissal late on Saturday was part of a crucial three-wicket burst by Australia off-spinner Lyon.
The spinner's three wickets in a short spell – he also bowled Harry Brook and Stokes himself – left the chasing side 207-6 in pursuit of a notional total of 435 runs.
This means, the home team need just four more wickets on Sunday's last day to move to an unassailable 3-0 lead after three matches played.
A loss would prolong England's drought in this country to 18 Tests and condemn them to a fourth successive overseas Ashes loss.
The current battle is set to be decided in just 11 days of play – after England losing the initial matches in two and four days each.
The last time 1921, when the Australians sealed a series win in the UK in eight days, has the outcome of the urn been decided so quickly. The hosts have also won in eleven days on two other instances in the 21st century.
"It's disappointing," admitted Crawley. "We came here to win the Ashes and now we are facing elimination now."
"There will still be plenty to play for and we'll certainly approach it with that mindset," he continued.
"The challenge has been difficult. Australia is a formidable team. It was inevitably hard touring here to face them. They were the front-runners and they've proven why."
Pope's Position Under Scrutiny
While the opener's performance in the third Test probably answers doubts about his immediate future in the England team, Ollie Pope appears under immense pressure for his position in the fourth Test starting December 26th.
Pope was out for 17 runs in the team's second knock on Saturday, adding to his poor record versus the old enemy.
Across sixteen Ashes knocks, Pope has failed to score a fifty and averages just 17.62.
Only one other England player since 1900 – Dennis Amiss – has featured as many times in the top six in Ashes Tests and recorded a poorer average.
But, the opener insisted any notion his teammate is being scrutinised originates with "you guys" – meaning the press – "not inside the camp."
"The squad is fully aware how good of a player he is," added Crawley. "Ollie has enjoyed a good year to be frank."
"He has played several excellent innings. This is talk externally. There is no chat like that regarding Pope in the camp," Crawley concluded.
