The English opener Zak Crawley suggested he was not familiar with comments from captain Stokes regarding the team environment not being "those lacking fortitude".
Stokes made those words in several conversations in the wake of his team's loss in the second Ashes series versus the Australians earlier this month.
Ahead of the Adelaide Test, where England are staring at defeat at the earliest opportunity, Stokes noted he had allowed his sentiment to "circulate freely" among the squad.
"I have completed all the talking over the past two days that I needed to have done," remarked Stokes.
However, after the opener scored a knock of 85 on the penultimate day in the third Test, he stated: "I missed those remarks."
"I wasn't actively searching for it. We take everything that is said in the media with some skepticism," he added.
Frank Discussions and Steady Philosophy
The captain issued his "fragile individuals" observation subsequent to England were beaten in the second Test to go two matches behind.
The team afterwards went on a break to Noosa in the gap between the second and the upcoming matches.
Before the Adelaide contest, Stokes said his team had held "honest" conversations and he had asked them to "display some fight" in their battle to remain alive in the Ashes battle.
Nevertheless, the Kent batsman stated the guidance from the captain and head coach Brendon McCullum had remained in line with their previous three years in leadership.
"It's been very positive, unchanged," said the opener. "The focus is on maintaining positivity, play our way, with great liberty. It felt like we could do something special entering this Test."
Australia Close of Historic Ashes Triumph
The opener's wicket on day four came during a decisive triple-strike by Australia spinner Lyon.
The spinner's triple strike in 20 deliveries – including the wickets of Harry Brook and Stokes himself – meant England six down for 207 chasing a daunting target of 435.
Consequently, the home team need four wickets on Sunday's final day to move to an insurmountable three-nil advantage with three matches played.
Defeat will extend the English team's winless run in Australia to 18 Tests and ensure a fourth successive overseas Ashes series loss.
This series is set to be decided in only 11 days of play – after England losing the initial matches in rapid time each.
The last time 1921, when the Australians sealed victory in the UK in eight days, has the destination of the Ashes urn been determined more swiftly. Australia have also won in eleven days on two other instances in the modern era.
"This is disheartening," admitted the batsman. "Our goal was to win the Ashes and we're facing elimination 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 team. It was inevitably tough coming here to face them. They entered as the favourites and they've proven why."
Pope's Place Under Scrutiny
While Crawley's innings in Adelaide probably answers doubts about his short-term future in the side, Pope appears under threat for his position in the fourth Test starting December 26th.
The Surrey batsman was out for 17 runs in the team's second innings on day four, extending his modest returns versus the old enemy.
Across 16 Ashes innings, Pope has never made a half-century and averages 17.62.
A solitary other English batsman in over a century – Amiss – has featured an equal number of innings in the top order in the Ashes and returned a poorer average.
However, the opener said any notion his teammate is under the microscope originates with "you guys" – referring to the journalists – "not inside the camp."
"We all know how good of a player he is," said Crawley. "Ollie has enjoyed a good year if I'm honest."
"He has produced some really good knocks. It is talk externally. There is no discussion like that regarding Pope in the camp," Crawley finished.
