England opening batter Zak Crawley suggested he was not familiar with comments made by skipper Ben Stokes regarding the team environment not being "weak men".
Stokes delivered this message in multiple conversations in the wake of his team's loss in the second Ashes versus the Australians previously.
Ahead of the Adelaide Test, where England now face defeat with a match to spare, the captain stated he had let his message to "drift around" within the squad.
"I've done all the talking over the past two days that I required," said the England leader.
However, after the opener scored 85 on the penultimate day in Adelaide, he commented: "I didn't see that."
"I wasn't actively searching for it. We take everything that is said in the press with a pinch of salt," he added.
Frank Discussions and Steady Philosophy
The captain made the "fragile individuals" observation subsequent to England suffered a loss in the second Test to go two matches behind.
The England squad afterwards went on a break to Noosa between the second and the upcoming Tests.
Before this match, he said his players had held "honest" conversations and he had urged them to "display some fight" in their effort to remain in contention in the series.
Yet, Crawley stated the guidance from Stokes and head coach McCullum had remained in line with their prior three years in charge.
"The atmosphere has been very positive, unchanged," noted the opener. "The focus is on maintaining positivity, play our way, with great liberty. We believed we were capable of an extraordinary feat going into this Test."
Australia Close of Rapid Series Victory
Crawley's dismissal on day four was part of a decisive triple-strike by Australian spinner Lyon.
The spinner's three wickets in 20 deliveries – he also bowled Brook and Ben Stokes – meant the chasing side six down for 207 in pursuit of a daunting target of 435 runs.
This means, Australia need just four more wickets on Sunday's last day to move to an insurmountable 3-0 lead with three Tests.
Defeat will extend the English team's winless run in Australia to 18 consecutive matches and condemn them to a fourth successive overseas Ashes defeat.
This series is set to be decided in just eleven days of cricket – with England losing the first two Tests in rapid time respectively.
Not since 1921, when Australia sealed victory in England in eight days, has the outcome of the urn been decided so quickly. Australia have also triumphed in 11 days on two other instances in the modern era.
"This is disappointing," said the batsman. "We came here to regain the Ashes and we're staring down the barrel at this point."
"There remains plenty to play for and we'll definitely view it with that mindset," he continued.
"The challenge has been difficult. They're a very, very good side. It was always going to be hard touring here to face them. They were the favourites coming in to it they've proven why."
Ollie Pope's Position In Question
Although the opener's innings in Adelaide likely secures doubts about his immediate place in the side, Ollie 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 Saturday, extending his modest returns versus the old enemy.
Across 16 Ashes innings, Pope has never made a half-century and boasts an average of 17.62.
A solitary other England player in over a century – Dennis Amiss – has featured an equal number of innings in the top six in Ashes Tests and returned a lower average.
But, Crawley insisted any suggestion Pope is under the microscope comes from "you guys" – meaning the press – "not inside the camp."
"We all know how good of a player he is," said he. "Ollie has enjoyed a good year to be frank."
"He has played several excellent innings. This is noise externally. There is no chat of that nature on Ollie amongst the players," Crawley finished.
