The English opening batter Zak Crawley suggested he was not familiar with comments made by skipper Stokes regarding the team environment not being "those lacking fortitude".
Stokes delivered this message in multiple conversations in the wake of his team's defeat in the second Ashes versus Australia previously.
Ahead of the third Test, where England are staring at defeat with a match to spare, the captain noted he had let his sentiment to "drift around" within the playing group.
"I have completed the necessary discussions in recent days that I required," said Stokes.
However, after Crawley scored a knock of 85 on the penultimate day in Adelaide, he stated: "I didn't see that."
"I didn't see and wasn't really looking out for it. Our approach is to take anything stated in the press with some skepticism," Crawley continued.
Frank Discussions and Steady Philosophy
The captain issued his "fragile individuals" observation after England suffered a loss in Brisbane to go two matches behind.
The team afterwards took a break to Noosa in the gap between the second and the upcoming matches.
Before this match, he revealed his players had held "honest" conversations and he had asked them to "display some fight" in their effort to remain in contention in the Ashes battle.
Nevertheless, Crawley stated the guidance from the captain and head coach McCullum had stayed consistent with their prior three years in leadership.
"The atmosphere has been extremely upbeat, unchanged," noted the opener. "It's on maintaining positivity, play our way, with lots of freedom. It felt like we could do an extraordinary feat entering this Test."
The Hosts On the Verge of Historic Series Victory
Crawley's dismissal late on Saturday came during a decisive triple-strike by Australia off-spinner Nathan Lyon.
Lyon's three wickets in a short spell – he also bowled Brook and Stokes himself – left England six down for 207 in pursuit of a daunting target of 435.
This means, the home team require four wickets on the last day to secure an unassailable three-nil advantage after three Tests.
A loss would prolong England's winless run in this country to 18 Tests and ensure a fourth successive overseas Ashes defeat.
This series will be completed in only eleven days of cricket – with England fell the initial matches in two and four days each.
Not since 1921, when the Australians completed a series win in England in eight days, has the destination of the Ashes urn been determined so quickly. The hosts have also triumphed in 11 days on two other occasions in the modern era.
"It's disheartening," said the batsman. "We came here to regain the Ashes and now we are staring down the barrel at this point."
"There remains significant pride at stake and we'll certainly approach it with that mindset," Crawley added.
"It's been difficult. Australia is a very, very good team. It was always going to be hard touring here against them. They were the favourites coming in to it have demonstrated their quality."
Ollie Pope's Place Under Scrutiny
While Crawley's performance in Adelaide probably answers questions about his immediate future in the side, Pope appears under threat for his position in the Melbourne Test on Boxing Day.
The Surrey batsman was out for 17 in England's second innings on Saturday, extending his modest returns versus the old enemy.
Across sixteen Ashes knocks, the Surrey man has failed to score a fifty and averages 17.62.
Only one other England player in over a century – Amiss – has played an equal number of innings in the top six in Ashes Tests and recorded a poorer average.
However, the opener insisted any notion Pope is under the microscope originates with "you guys" – referring to the journalists – "not inside the camp."
"The squad is fully aware how good of a player he is," said he. "He has had a good year to be frank."
"He has produced some really good knocks. This is talk externally. There is no chat like that regarding Pope in the camp," Crawley finished.
