The English opening batter Zak Crawley suggested he was not familiar with comments from captain Stokes about the team environment not being "those lacking fortitude".
Stokes delivered this message in several interviews following his team's defeat in the second Ashes series against the Australians previously.
Ahead of the Adelaide Test, where the visitors are staring at a series loss with a match to spare, Stokes noted he had allowed his message to "drift around" within the playing group.
"I've done the necessary discussions over the past two days that I needed to have done," remarked the England leader.
However, following Crawley scored a knock of 85 on the penultimate day in Adelaide, he commented: "I missed those remarks."
"I didn't see and wasn't really looking out for it. Our approach is to take everything that is said in the media with some skepticism," Crawley continued.
Raw Conversations and Consistent Messaging
The captain made the "fragile individuals" comment after England suffered a loss in Brisbane to go two matches behind.
The team subsequently went on a break to a Queensland resort between the second and the upcoming Tests.
Before this match, he said his players had held "raw" conversations and he had asked them to "display some fight" in their effort to remain alive in the Ashes battle.
Nevertheless, the Kent batsman asserted the guidance from the captain and coach McCullum had remained in line with their previous tenure in leadership.
"It's been very positive, unchanged," said Crawley. "The focus is just trying to be optimistic, playing our brand, with great liberty. It felt like we could do an extraordinary feat going into this game."
The Hosts Close of Historic Ashes Triumph
The opener's dismissal late on Saturday was part of a decisive three-wicket burst by Australia spinner Lyon.
Lyon's three wickets in a short spell – including the wickets of Harry Brook and Stokes himself – meant the chasing side six down for 207 chasing a notional target of 435 runs.
This means, the home team require four wickets on the final day to secure an insurmountable three-nil lead with three Tests.
Defeat will extend the English team's winless run in this country to 18 consecutive matches and ensure a fourth successive away Ashes series defeat.
This series will be completed in just eleven days of cricket – with England losing the first two Tests in two and four days each.
The last time 1921, when Australia sealed victory in the UK in eight days, has the destination of the urn been determined more swiftly. The hosts have also won in 11 days on two other instances in the 21st century.
"It's disappointing," said the batsman. "We came here to regain the Ashes and now we are staring down the barrel now."
"There will still be significant pride at stake and we will certainly approach it like that," he continued.
"It's been difficult. Australia is a formidable side. It was always going to be hard touring here against them. They were the favourites and they've proven why."
Pope's Position In Question
Although the opener's innings in the third Test probably answers questions about his immediate place in the England team, Pope appears under threat for his position in the Melbourne Test on Boxing Day.
Pope fell for 17 runs in England's second knock on Saturday, adding to his modest returns versus Australia.
In 16 Ashes innings, Pope has failed to score a fifty and averages just 17.62.
Only one other English batsman since 1900 – Dennis Amiss – has featured an equal number of innings in the top six in Ashes Tests and recorded a poorer average.
However, Crawley said any notion Pope is under the microscope comes from "the media" – referring to the press – "not inside the camp."
"We all know how good of a player he is," said he. "Ollie has enjoyed a good year to be frank."
"He has produced some really good knocks. This is noise from the outside. There's no chat of that nature regarding Pope in the camp," he finished.
