England opener Zak Crawley suggested he had no knowledge of statements from skipper Stokes about the dressing room as no place for "weak men".
The all-rounder delivered this message in several conversations following England's defeat in the second Ashes series against the Australians earlier this month.
Ahead of the third Test, where the visitors are staring at defeat with a match to spare, Stokes stated he had allowed his message to "circulate freely" among the playing group.
"I have completed the necessary discussions in recent days that I needed to have done," said Stokes.
But, after the opener made 85 on the fourth day in Adelaide, he commented: "I missed those remarks."
"I wasn't actively searching for it. Our approach is to take anything stated in the media with some skepticism," he added.
Raw Conversations and Steady Philosophy
The captain issued his "weak men" observation after his side were beaten in Brisbane to go two matches behind.
The team subsequently went on a break to Noosa in the gap between the second and third Tests.
Prior to this match, Stokes said his team had held "raw" talks and he had asked them to "show a bit of dog" in their battle to remain alive in the series.
Nevertheless, Crawley asserted the guidance from Stokes and coach Brendon McCullum had stayed consistent with their prior three years in charge.
"The atmosphere has been very positive, the same as always," noted the opener. "It's just trying to be optimistic, play our way, with great liberty. It felt like we could do something special entering this game."
Australia Close of Historic Series Victory
The opener's dismissal late on Saturday was part of a crucial three-wicket burst by Australia spinner Lyon.
Lyon's three wickets in a short spell – he also bowled Brook and Stokes himself – left England 207-6 in pursuit of a daunting target of 435 runs.
This means, Australia need four wickets on Sunday's final day to move to an insurmountable 3-0 lead after three Tests.
A loss would prolong the English team's drought in Australia to 18 Tests and condemn them to a fourth successive overseas Ashes loss.
The current battle is set to be decided in only 11 days of play – with England fell the first two Tests in rapid time respectively.
The last time 1921, when the Australians sealed a series win in the UK in eight days, has the destination of the urn been decided more swiftly. The hosts have also won in eleven days on two other instances in the modern era.
"It's disheartening," said Crawley. "We came here to win the Ashes and now we are staring down the barrel at this point."
"There will still be plenty to play for and we will certainly approach it with that mindset," he continued.
"The challenge has been tough. Australia is a very, very good side. It was inevitably tough touring here to face them. They were the front-runners and have demonstrated their quality."
Ollie Pope's Position In Question
While Crawley's innings in Adelaide likely secures questions about his immediate place in the England team, Pope appears under immense pressure for his position in the fourth Test on Boxing Day.
Pope was out for 17 runs in England's second innings on Saturday, extending his poor record against the old enemy.
In 16 Ashes innings, the Surrey man has never made a half-century and boasts an average of 17.62.
Only one other English batsman in over a century – Dennis Amiss – has played an equal number of innings in the top order in the Ashes and recorded a poorer average.
But, the opener said any notion his teammate is under the microscope originates with "you guys" – meaning the journalists – "not inside the camp."
"We all know of his considerable talent," added Crawley. "He has had a good year to be frank."
"He has played some really good knocks. This is talk from the outside. There's no chat like that regarding Pope amongst the players," he concluded.
