The English opener Zak Crawley suggested he had no knowledge of comments from captain Stokes about the dressing room not being "those lacking fortitude".
Stokes delivered those words in several interviews in the wake of his team's defeat in the second Ashes against the Australians earlier this month.
Ahead of the Adelaide Test, where England now face a series loss with a match to spare, Stokes stated he had let his sentiment to "drift around" within the playing group.
"I've done the necessary discussions in recent days that I required," said Stokes.
However, following Crawley scored 85 on the fourth day in Adelaide, he commented: "I didn't see that."
"I didn't see and wasn't really looking out for it. Our approach is to take everything that is said in the press with a pinch of salt," he added.
Frank Discussions and Consistent Messaging
The captain issued his "fragile individuals" comment after England were beaten in the second Test to go two matches behind.
The England squad afterwards took a break to a Queensland resort between the second and the upcoming matches.
Prior to the Adelaide contest, Stokes revealed his players had held "raw" talks and he had asked them to "display some fight" in their battle to remain in contention in the Ashes battle.
Nevertheless, Crawley asserted the guidance from the captain and head coach McCullum had stayed consistent with their previous tenure in charge.
"It's been very positive, the same as always," noted Crawley. "It's on maintaining positivity, play our way, with great liberty. It felt like we were capable of something special entering this game."
The Hosts On the Verge of Historic Series Victory
Crawley's wicket late on Saturday was part of a decisive triple-strike by Australian spinner Lyon.
The spinner's three wickets in 20 deliveries – he also bowled Brook and Stokes himself – meant England 207-6 chasing a notional target of 435.
Consequently, the home team need four wickets on the final day to secure an insurmountable 3-0 lead with three Tests.
Defeat would prolong the English team's winless run in Australia to 18 consecutive matches and condemn them to a fourth straight overseas Ashes defeat.
The current battle is set to be decided in just eleven days of play – with England fell the initial matches in two and four days each.
Not since 1921, when Australia completed a series win in the UK in eight days, has the destination of the Ashes urn been decided more swiftly. The hosts have also triumphed in eleven days on two other instances in the 21st century.
"It's disheartening," said the batsman. "We came here to regain the Ashes and we're staring down the barrel at this point."
"There will still be plenty to play for and we will definitely view it with that mindset," he continued.
"The challenge has been tough. They're a very, very good side. It was always going to be tough coming here to face them. They were the front-runners coming in to it they've proven why."
Ollie Pope's Position Under Scrutiny
Although the opener's performance in Adelaide likely secures questions about his short-term place in the side, Pope looks under immense pressure for his spot in the fourth Test on Boxing Day.
The Surrey batsman was out for 17 runs in the team's second innings on day four, adding to his modest returns against Australia.
In 16 Ashes innings, the Surrey man has never made a fifty and averages 17.62.
A solitary other England player since 1900 – Dennis Amiss – has featured an equal number of innings in the top six in the Ashes and recorded a poorer average.
However, the opener said any suggestion his teammate is under the microscope comes from "the media" – meaning the journalists – "and not within the team."
"The squad is fully aware of his considerable talent," added Crawley. "Ollie has enjoyed a productive year to be frank."
"He has produced several excellent innings. It is talk from the outside. There's no chat like that on Ollie in the camp," he concluded.
