The English opener Zak Crawley has indicated he had no knowledge of statements from captain Ben Stokes regarding the team environment as no place for "those lacking fortitude".
Stokes made this message in several interviews following England's defeat in the second match of the Ashes series versus Australia previously.
Ahead of the Adelaide Test, where the visitors are staring at a series loss with a match to spare, the captain noted he had let his message to "drift around" among the playing group.
"I've done all the talking over the past two days that I required," remarked the England leader.
But, following the opener made a knock of 85 on the penultimate day in Adelaide, he commented: "I missed those remarks."
"I didn't see and wasn't really looking out for it. Our approach is to take everything that is said in the press with some skepticism," Crawley continued.
Raw Conversations and Consistent Messaging
The captain issued his "fragile individuals" observation subsequent to his side suffered a loss in the second Test to fall 2-0 down.
The England squad subsequently went on a break to Noosa between the second and third Tests.
Prior to the Adelaide contest, Stokes revealed his players had held "honest" talks and he had urged them to "display some fight" in their battle to remain alive in the Ashes battle.
Yet, the Kent batsman asserted the messaging from the captain and coach Brendon McCullum had remained in line with their previous tenure in charge.
"It's been very positive, the same as always," noted the opener. "It's on maintaining positivity, play our way, with great liberty. We believed we could do an extraordinary feat going into this game."
Australia On the Verge of Historic Ashes Triumph
Crawley's dismissal late on Saturday was part of a decisive triple-strike by Australian spinner Nathan Lyon.
Lyon's three wickets in a short spell – he also bowled Harry Brook and Ben Stokes – meant the chasing side 207-6 in pursuit of a notional total of 435 runs.
Consequently, Australia require four wickets on the final day to secure an unassailable three-nil lead with three Tests.
A loss will extend England's drought in Australia to 18 consecutive matches and condemn them to a fourth successive overseas Ashes loss.
The current battle will be completed in only eleven days of play – after England losing the initial matches in rapid time respectively.
Not since 1921, when the Australians sealed a series win in England in eight days, has the outcome of the Ashes urn been determined more swiftly. Australia have also triumphed in 11 days on two other instances in the modern era.
"This is disappointing," admitted Crawley. "We came here to win the Ashes and we're staring down the barrel at this point."
"There will still be significant pride at stake and we will certainly approach it with that mindset," he continued.
"It's been difficult. They're a formidable team. It was always going to be tough coming here against them. They entered as the front-runners and have demonstrated their quality."
Ollie Pope's Place Under Scrutiny
While the opener's performance in Adelaide probably answers questions about his short-term future in the England team, Ollie Pope looks under threat for his spot in the fourth Test on Boxing Day.
The Surrey batsman was out for 17 runs in England's second knock on Saturday, extending his poor record against the old enemy.
Across sixteen Ashes knocks, Pope has failed to score a fifty and boasts an average of just 17.62.
A solitary other England player since 1900 – Amiss – has featured an equal number of innings in the top six in Ashes Tests and returned a lower average.
However, the opener insisted any notion his teammate is being scrutinised comes from "the media" – referring to the journalists – "and not within the team."
"We all know of his considerable talent," said Crawley. "Ollie has enjoyed a good year if I'm honest."
"He has played some really good knocks. It is talk externally. There is no discussion like that regarding Pope amongst the players," he finished.
