England opener Zak Crawley suggested he was not familiar with statements made by skipper Ben Stokes about the dressing room as no place for "weak men".
Stokes made those words in several conversations in the wake of his team's loss in the second match of the Ashes against the Australians earlier this month.
Ahead of the third Test, where the visitors now face defeat at the earliest opportunity, the captain noted he had allowed his message to "drift around" among the playing group.
"I have completed all the talking over the past two days that I required," remarked the England leader.
But, after the opener scored a knock of 85 on the fourth day in the third Test, he commented: "I missed those remarks."
"I wasn't actively searching for it. Our approach is to take everything that is said in the media with some skepticism," Crawley continued.
Frank Discussions and Steady Philosophy
The captain made the "weak men" observation subsequent to his side were beaten in the second Test to fall 2-0 down.
The England squad subsequently went on a holiday to Noosa in the gap between the second and the upcoming matches.
Prior to this match, Stokes revealed his players had held "raw" conversations and he had asked them to "display some fight" in their battle to remain alive in the Ashes battle.
Yet, Crawley stated the messaging from the captain and head coach Brendon McCullum had remained consistent with their prior three years in leadership.
"It's been extremely upbeat, unchanged," said Crawley. "It's on maintaining positivity, play our way, with great liberty. It felt like we were capable of an extraordinary feat entering this game."
The Hosts On the Verge of Historic Series Victory
The opener's wicket on day four came during a decisive triple-strike by Australian off-spinner Lyon.
Lyon's triple strike in a short spell – including the wickets of Brook and Stokes himself – meant England six down for 207 in pursuit of a daunting target of 435 runs.
This means, the home team require four wickets on the last day to secure an unassailable 3-0 advantage with three Tests.
A loss would prolong England's winless run in Australia to 18 consecutive matches and ensure a fourth successive away Ashes defeat.
The current battle will be completed in just eleven days of cricket – after England fell the initial matches in rapid time respectively.
The last time 1921, when the Australians completed victory in the UK in eight days, has the destination of the urn been determined more swiftly. Australia have also won in eleven days on two other instances in the modern era.
"This is disheartening," admitted the batsman. "Our goal was to win the Ashes and now we are 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 side. It was inevitably tough touring here to face them. They were the front-runners and they've proven why."
Ollie Pope's Place In Question
Although the opener's innings in Adelaide probably answers questions about his short-term place in the side, Pope appears under immense pressure for his position in the fourth Test on Boxing Day.
Pope fell for 17 in the team's second knock on Saturday, extending his modest returns against the old enemy.
In 16 Ashes innings, the Surrey man has never made a half-century and boasts an average of 17.62.
Only one other England player in over a century – Dennis Amiss – has played an equal number of innings in the top six in Ashes Tests and recorded a poorer average.
However, the opener insisted any notion Pope is under the microscope comes from "you guys" – referring to the press – "not inside the camp."
"The squad is fully aware of his considerable talent," said Crawley. "Ollie has enjoyed a good year if I'm honest."
"He has produced several excellent innings. It is talk externally. There's no discussion like that on Ollie in the camp," Crawley finished.
