England opening batter Zak Crawley suggested he had no knowledge of comments from captain Ben Stokes about the dressing room not being "weak men".
Stokes delivered those words in several interviews following his team's loss in the second match of the Ashes versus the Australians previously.
In the lead-up to the third Test, where England are staring at a series loss with a match to spare, Stokes stated he had let his message to "circulate freely" among the squad.
"I have completed all the talking in recent days that I needed to have done," remarked Stokes.
But, following the opener made 85 on the penultimate day in Adelaide, he commented: "I missed those remarks."
"I wasn't actively searching for it. We take anything stated in the press with a pinch of salt," Crawley continued.
Raw Conversations and Steady Philosophy
The captain issued his "weak men" comment after England were beaten in Brisbane to go two matches behind.
The team afterwards took a break to Noosa in the gap between the second and third matches.
Before the Adelaide contest, he said his team had held "honest" conversations and he had urged them to "display some fight" in their battle to remain alive in the Ashes battle.
Nevertheless, the Kent batsman asserted the guidance from the captain and coach McCullum had stayed consistent with their prior tenure in charge.
"It's been extremely upbeat, the same as always," said the opener. "The focus is on maintaining positivity, playing our brand, with great liberty. We believed we were capable of an extraordinary feat entering this Test."
Australia Close of Rapid Series Victory
The opener's dismissal on day four was part of a crucial triple-strike by Australia off-spinner Lyon.
The spinner's three wickets in a short spell – he also bowled Harry Brook and Ben Stokes – meant the chasing side 207-6 chasing a notional target of 435 runs.
Consequently, Australia require four wickets on Sunday's final day to secure an unassailable three-nil lead after three matches played.
A loss will extend the English team's winless run in Australia to 18 consecutive matches and condemn them to a fourth successive away Ashes series loss.
This series will be completed in only 11 days of cricket – with England losing the initial matches in two and four days each.
Not since 1921, when Australia completed victory in the UK in eight days, has the outcome of the Ashes urn been decided more swiftly. Australia have also won in eleven days on two other occasions in the 21st century.
"It's disappointing," said the batsman. "Our goal was to regain the Ashes and now we are staring down the barrel at this point."
"There remains significant pride at stake and we will definitely view it like that," Crawley added.
"It's been difficult. Australia is a very, very good side. It was always going to be tough coming here against them. They were the front-runners coming in to it they've proven why."
Pope's Place Under Scrutiny
Although Crawley's performance in Adelaide likely secures doubts about his immediate future in the England team, Pope looks under immense pressure for his position in the fourth Test on Boxing Day.
Pope was out for 17 in England's second knock on day four, adding to his modest returns versus Australia.
In 16 Ashes innings, Pope has failed to score a fifty and boasts an average of 17.62.
Only one other English batsman since 1900 – Dennis Amiss – has featured as many times in the top six in Ashes Tests and recorded a lower average.
However, Crawley said any suggestion Pope is being scrutinised comes from "the media" – meaning the journalists – "and not within the team."
"The squad is fully aware how good of a player he is," said he. "He has had a productive year if I'm honest."
"He has played some really good knocks. This is noise from the outside. There's no chat like that on Ollie amongst the players," he finished.
