The English opening batter Zak Crawley has indicated he had no knowledge of comments from skipper Ben Stokes about the dressing room as no place for "those lacking fortitude".
Stokes made those words in multiple conversations following England's loss in the second Ashes against the Australians previously.
Ahead of the Adelaide Test, where England are staring at defeat with a match to spare, the captain noted he had let his sentiment to "drift around" among the playing group.
"I've done all the talking over the past two days that I needed to have done," remarked Stokes.
But, following Crawley made a knock of 85 on the fourth day in the third Test, he stated: "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 press with some skepticism," he added.
Frank Discussions and Steady Philosophy
Stokes made the "fragile individuals" comment subsequent to his side suffered a loss in Brisbane to go two matches behind.
The team afterwards took a holiday to Noosa between the second and third matches.
Before this match, Stokes revealed his players had held "honest" talks and he had urged them to "display some fight" in their battle to remain alive in the series.
Yet, the Kent batsman asserted the messaging from the captain and head coach McCullum had stayed in line with their prior tenure in charge.
"The atmosphere has been very positive, the same as always," noted Crawley. "The focus is just trying to be optimistic, play our way, with great liberty. It felt like we were capable of something special entering this Test."
The Hosts Close of Rapid Series Victory
The opener's wicket on day four came during a decisive three-wicket burst by Australian off-spinner Nathan Lyon.
Lyon's triple strike in a short spell – including the wickets of Brook and Ben Stokes – left England six down for 207 in pursuit of a daunting target of 435 runs.
This means, Australia require just four more wickets on the last day to secure an unassailable 3-0 lead after three matches played.
A loss would prolong England's drought in this country to 18 consecutive matches and ensure a fourth straight overseas Ashes defeat.
The current battle is set to be decided in only eleven days of play – with England fell the initial matches in two and four days respectively.
Not since 1921, when Australia sealed victory in England in eight days, has the destination of the Ashes urn been decided so quickly. Australia 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 now."
"There will still be significant pride at stake and we'll certainly approach it like that," Crawley added.
"It's been difficult. They're a formidable side. It was inevitably hard touring here to face them. They entered as the front-runners and they've proven why."
Pope's Position In Question
While the opener's performance in Adelaide likely secures doubts about his immediate future in the England team, Ollie Pope looks under immense pressure for his position in the fourth Test starting December 26th.
Pope fell for 17 runs in England's second knock on Saturday, extending his modest returns against Australia.
Across sixteen Ashes knocks, the Surrey man has failed to score a fifty and boasts an average of just 17.62.
A solitary other English batsman since 1900 – Dennis Amiss – has featured an equal number of innings in the top six in the Ashes and returned a poorer average.
However, Crawley insisted any suggestion Pope is under the microscope comes from "you guys" – meaning the press – "not inside the camp."
"The squad is fully aware of his considerable talent," added Crawley. "Ollie has enjoyed a productive year if I'm honest."
"He has produced some really good knocks. It is talk from the outside. There's no chat like that regarding Pope in the camp," he concluded.
