England opener Zak Crawley suggested he was not familiar with comments made by skipper Ben Stokes about the team environment not being "weak men".
The all-rounder delivered those words in several conversations in the wake of his team's loss in the second match of the Ashes versus Australia previously.
In the lead-up to the third Test, where England now face defeat at the earliest opportunity, the captain stated he had allowed his message to "circulate freely" within the squad.
"I've done all the talking over the past two days that I required," remarked the England leader.
However, following the opener made 85 on the penultimate 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 a pinch of salt," Crawley continued.
Frank Discussions and Consistent Messaging
Stokes issued his "fragile individuals" observation after England were beaten in Brisbane to fall two matches behind.
The England squad afterwards took a break to a Queensland resort in the gap between the second and the upcoming matches.
Prior to the Adelaide contest, Stokes said his team had held "raw" talks and he had urged them to "display some fight" in their effort to stay alive in the series.
Yet, the Kent batsman stated the messaging from Stokes and head coach McCullum had remained consistent with their previous three years in charge.
"The atmosphere has been extremely upbeat, the same as always," said Crawley. "The focus is on maintaining positivity, play our way, with lots of freedom. It felt like we were capable of an extraordinary feat entering this Test."
Australia On the Verge of Historic Ashes Triumph
Crawley's wicket late on Saturday came during a crucial triple-strike by Australia off-spinner Lyon.
Lyon's three wickets in 20 deliveries – including the wickets of Brook and Stokes himself – left England six down for 207 in pursuit of a daunting total of 435.
This means, the home team need four wickets on the last day to move to an unassailable three-nil advantage after three Tests.
A loss would prolong England's winless run in Australia to 18 consecutive matches and condemn them to a fourth successive away Ashes series loss.
The current battle will be completed in just 11 days of play – after England losing the first two Tests in two and four days each.
The last time 1921, when the Australians sealed victory in England in eight days, has the outcome of the urn been decided more swiftly. Australia have also won in eleven days on two other occasions in the 21st century.
"This is disappointing," admitted the batsman. "Our goal was to regain the Ashes and we're staring down the barrel now."
"There remains significant pride at stake and we will definitely view it like that," Crawley added.
"The challenge has been difficult. They're a formidable side. It was inevitably tough touring here against them. They entered as the front-runners coming in to it have demonstrated their quality."
Ollie Pope's Place In Question
Although Crawley's performance in the third Test likely secures doubts about his short-term place in the side, Pope looks under threat for his position in the fourth Test on Boxing Day.
The Surrey batsman was out for 17 runs in England's second innings on day four, extending his modest returns versus the old enemy.
In 16 Ashes innings, Pope has failed to score a fifty and boasts an average of 17.62.
Only one other English batsman in over a century – Dennis Amiss – has played as many times in the top order in Ashes Tests and recorded a lower average.
However, the opener said any suggestion his teammate is under the microscope originates with "the media" – referring to the press – "not inside the camp."
"The squad is fully aware of his considerable talent," added he. "He has had a productive year to be frank."
"He has produced several excellent innings. This is noise from the outside. There's no discussion of that nature on Ollie amongst the players," he concluded.
