England opener Zak Crawley suggested he had no knowledge of comments made by captain Ben Stokes regarding the team environment as no place for "weak men".
Stokes made this message in multiple interviews in the wake of his team's defeat in the second Ashes series against the Australians earlier this month.
In the lead-up to the third Test, where the visitors are staring at defeat at the earliest opportunity, the captain stated he had let his sentiment to "circulate freely" among the playing group.
"I've done the necessary discussions over the past two days that I required," remarked the England leader.
However, after Crawley made 85 on the fourth day in Adelaide, he stated: "I missed those remarks."
"I didn't see and wasn't really looking out for it. Our approach is to take anything stated in the press with some skepticism," Crawley continued.
Frank Discussions and Consistent Messaging
The captain made the "fragile individuals" comment after his side suffered a loss in the second Test to go 2-0 down.
The team subsequently went on a holiday to Noosa between the second and the upcoming matches.
Before the Adelaide contest, he said his team had held "honest" conversations and he had asked them to "show a bit of dog" in their effort to remain in contention in the Ashes battle.
Yet, the Kent batsman asserted the messaging from the captain and coach McCullum had remained consistent with their prior three years in leadership.
"The atmosphere has been very positive, unchanged," said Crawley. "It's just trying to be optimistic, play our way, with great liberty. It felt like we could do something special entering this Test."
Australia On the Verge of Rapid Series Victory
Crawley's wicket late on Saturday was part of a crucial three-wicket burst by Australian off-spinner Nathan Lyon.
The spinner's three wickets in 20 deliveries – he also bowled Brook and Stokes himself – left England six down for 207 in pursuit of a notional target of 435 runs.
Consequently, Australia need four wickets on the final day to secure an insurmountable three-nil advantage with three Tests.
A loss will extend England's drought in this country to 18 Tests and condemn them to a fourth successive away Ashes defeat.
The current battle is set to be decided in only 11 days of play – with England losing the initial matches in two and four days respectively.
The last time 1921, when the Australians sealed victory in England in eight days, has the outcome of the Ashes urn been determined so quickly. The hosts have also triumphed in eleven days on two other occasions in the modern era.
"It's disheartening," said the batsman. "We came here to win the Ashes and we're staring down the barrel now."
"There will still be plenty to play for and we will certainly approach it like that," Crawley added.
"It's been difficult. Australia is a very, very good side. It was always going to be tough touring here against them. They were the front-runners coming in to it have demonstrated their quality."
Pope's Position In Question
Although Crawley's performance in Adelaide probably answers doubts about his immediate place in the England team, Ollie Pope appears under threat for his position in the fourth Test on Boxing Day.
The Surrey batsman fell for 17 runs in England's second knock on Saturday, adding to his modest returns versus Australia.
In sixteen Ashes knocks, the Surrey man has never made a fifty and boasts an average of 17.62.
Only one other England player since 1900 – Amiss – has featured an equal number of innings in the top order in the Ashes and returned a poorer average.
But, the opener insisted any notion his teammate is under the microscope originates with "you guys" – referring to 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 to be frank."
"He has played several excellent innings. This is noise from the outside. There's no discussion of that nature on Ollie amongst the players," he concluded.
