The English opening batter Zak Crawley suggested he was not familiar with comments made by skipper Ben Stokes regarding the dressing room not being "weak men".
Stokes made those words in several conversations in the wake of his team's loss in the second match of the Ashes series versus the Australians earlier this month.
In the lead-up to the Adelaide Test, where the visitors now face defeat with a match to spare, Stokes stated he had allowed his message to "circulate freely" within the squad.
"I have completed all the talking in recent days that I required," said the England leader.
However, after the opener scored a knock of 85 on the fourth day in the third Test, he commented: "I didn't see that."
"I wasn't actively searching for it. We take anything stated in the press with a pinch of salt," Crawley continued.
Raw Conversations and Consistent Messaging
Stokes issued his "weak men" comment subsequent to England were beaten in the second Test to fall 2-0 down.
The England squad afterwards went on a break to Noosa between the second and the upcoming Tests.
Before this match, he revealed his players had held "raw" talks and he had asked them to "display some fight" in their battle to remain alive in the Ashes battle.
Nevertheless, Crawley stated the guidance from Stokes and coach Brendon McCullum had remained in line with their previous three years in charge.
"The atmosphere has been extremely upbeat, unchanged," noted Crawley. "The focus is just trying to be optimistic, play our way, with great liberty. We believed we were capable of an extraordinary feat going into this game."
The Hosts On the Verge of Rapid Ashes Triumph
The opener's dismissal on day four came during a crucial triple-strike by Australia spinner Nathan Lyon.
The spinner's three wickets in a short spell – including the wickets of Harry Brook and Ben Stokes – left England 207-6 in pursuit of a notional total of 435.
Consequently, Australia need just four more wickets on the last day to secure an insurmountable 3-0 advantage with three matches played.
Defeat would prolong the English team's winless run in Australia to 18 Tests and condemn them to a fourth straight overseas Ashes series loss.
The current battle will be completed in only 11 days of cricket – with England fell the initial matches in rapid time respectively.
Not since 1921, when Australia sealed a series win in England in eight days, has the outcome of the Ashes urn been decided so quickly. Australia have also triumphed in 11 days on two other instances in the modern era.
"This is disappointing," said Crawley. "Our goal was to regain the Ashes and we're staring down the barrel now."
"There remains plenty to play for and we will definitely view it with that mindset," he continued.
"The challenge has been difficult. Australia is a formidable team. It was inevitably hard touring here against them. They entered as the front-runners coming in to it they've proven why."
Pope's Position In Question
Although the opener's performance in Adelaide probably answers questions about his short-term future in the England team, Ollie Pope looks under immense pressure for his spot in the fourth Test on Boxing Day.
The Surrey batsman fell for 17 in England's second innings on day four, adding to his poor record against the old enemy.
Across 16 Ashes innings, Pope has never made a half-century and averages 17.62.
Only one other England player in over a century – Dennis Amiss – has played an equal number of innings in the top order in Ashes Tests and returned a poorer average.
But, the opener said any suggestion Pope is under the microscope comes from "the media" – meaning the press – "and not within the team."
"We all know of his considerable talent," added Crawley. "Ollie has enjoyed a good year if I'm honest."
"He has produced several excellent innings. It is talk externally. There's no chat of that nature on Ollie in the camp," he finished.
