The English opener Zak Crawley has indicated he had no knowledge of statements from skipper Ben Stokes regarding the dressing room not being "those lacking fortitude".
Stokes made those words in several interviews in the wake of his team's loss in the second Ashes series versus the Australians earlier this month.
In the lead-up to the third Test, where the visitors are staring at a series loss with a match to spare, the captain stated he had let his message to "circulate freely" among the playing group.
"I've done all the talking in recent days that I needed to have done," remarked the England leader.
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. Our approach is to take anything stated in the media with some skepticism," he added.
Raw Conversations and Consistent Messaging
The captain made the "fragile individuals" observation after England were beaten in Brisbane to go 2-0 down.
The England squad subsequently took a holiday to Noosa between the second and the upcoming Tests.
Prior to this match, Stokes revealed his players had held "raw" conversations and he had urged them to "display some fight" in their battle to stay alive in the Ashes battle.
Nevertheless, Crawley asserted the guidance from Stokes and head coach McCullum had stayed in line with their prior tenure in leadership.
"It's been extremely upbeat, the same as always," noted the opener. "The focus is on maintaining positivity, play our way, with great liberty. We believed we were capable of an extraordinary feat going into this game."
The Hosts Close of Rapid Ashes Triumph
Crawley's dismissal on day four came during 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 – left England 207-6 chasing a notional total of 435 runs.
This means, Australia require four wickets on the last day to move to an insurmountable 3-0 lead after three Tests.
A loss will extend England's winless run in Australia to 18 consecutive matches and ensure a fourth successive overseas Ashes defeat.
The current battle will be completed in only eleven days of cricket – with England losing the first two Tests in rapid time 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. Australia have also won in 11 days on two other occasions in the 21st century.
"It's disappointing," admitted Crawley. "Our goal was to win the Ashes and now we are facing elimination now."
"There remains plenty to play for and we'll certainly approach it with that mindset," he continued.
"The challenge has been difficult. They're a formidable team. It was inevitably tough touring here against them. They entered as the favourites and have demonstrated their quality."
Pope's Position In Question
Although the opener's performance in the third Test likely secures questions about his short-term future in the England team, Ollie Pope looks under immense pressure for his spot in the fourth Test on Boxing Day.
The Surrey batsman fell for 17 in the team's second innings on day four, adding to his poor record versus Australia.
Across 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 as many times in the top order in Ashes Tests and returned a poorer average.
But, Crawley insisted any suggestion his teammate is being scrutinised comes from "you guys" – referring to the press – "not inside the camp."
"We all know how good of a player he is," said Crawley. "He has had a productive year if I'm honest."
"He has played several excellent innings. It is noise from the outside. There is no discussion of that nature on Ollie in the camp," Crawley concluded.
