The English opening batter Zak Crawley suggested he was not familiar with comments made by captain Ben Stokes regarding the team environment as no place for "weak men".
The all-rounder delivered those words in multiple interviews in the wake of England's loss in the second Ashes series against the Australians previously.
Ahead of the Adelaide Test, where the visitors are staring at a series loss at the earliest opportunity, the captain stated he had allowed his message to "drift around" among the playing group.
"I've done the necessary discussions over the past two days that I required," remarked the England leader.
But, after the opener made a knock of 85 on the fourth day in the third Test, he stated: "I didn't see that."
"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 "fragile individuals" observation after his side were beaten in the second Test to fall 2-0 down.
The team afterwards went on a break to a Queensland resort in the gap between the second and the upcoming Tests.
Before this match, he revealed his team had held "raw" talks and he had urged them to "display some fight" in their effort to remain in contention in the series.
Yet, the Kent batsman stated the messaging from the captain and coach Brendon McCullum had stayed consistent with their previous three years in leadership.
"The atmosphere has been very positive, unchanged," noted Crawley. "It's just trying to be optimistic, play our way, with lots of freedom. We believed we were capable of an extraordinary feat going into this Test."
Australia Close of Historic Ashes Triumph
Crawley's dismissal on day four came during a decisive triple-strike by Australia off-spinner Lyon.
The spinner's triple strike in 20 deliveries – including the wickets of Harry Brook and Stokes himself – left the chasing side six down for 207 chasing a notional target of 435 runs.
This means, Australia need just four more wickets on the last day to move to an unassailable 3-0 lead with three Tests.
Defeat would prolong England's drought in Australia to 18 consecutive matches and ensure a fourth straight overseas Ashes loss.
This series will be completed in only 11 days of play – after England fell the initial matches in two and four days each.
The last time 1921, when the Australians sealed a series win in the UK in eight days, has the outcome of the urn been determined more swiftly. Australia have also won in eleven days on two other instances in the 21st century.
"It's disheartening," said Crawley. "We came here to regain the Ashes and we're staring down the barrel now."
"There will still be plenty to play for and we'll definitely view it with that mindset," Crawley added.
"It's been tough. Australia is a formidable team. It was inevitably tough coming here to face them. They entered as the favourites and have demonstrated their quality."
Pope's Place Under Scrutiny
While Crawley's innings in the third Test likely secures questions about his immediate place in the side, Ollie Pope appears under immense pressure for his spot in the fourth Test starting December 26th.
Pope was out for 17 runs in the team's second knock on Saturday, extending his modest returns against the old enemy.
Across 16 Ashes innings, the Surrey man has failed to score a fifty and boasts an average of 17.62.
A solitary other English batsman in over a century – Amiss – has played an equal number of innings in the top six in Ashes Tests and recorded a lower average.
However, the opener insisted any suggestion Pope is under the microscope originates with "you guys" – referring to the journalists – "not inside the camp."
"We all know how good of a player he is," said he. "He has had a good year to be frank."
"He has played some really good knocks. It is talk externally. There is no discussion like that on Ollie amongst the players," he concluded.
