England opener Zak Crawley suggested he had no knowledge of comments from skipper Ben Stokes about the team environment as no place for "those lacking fortitude".
Stokes delivered those words in several interviews in the wake of his team's defeat in the second Ashes series versus Australia earlier this month.
In the lead-up to the third Test, where England now face defeat at the earliest opportunity, Stokes noted he had allowed his message to "drift around" among the playing group.
"I have completed all the talking in recent days that I required," remarked the England leader.
But, following the opener made 85 on the fourth day in Adelaide, he stated: "I missed those remarks."
"I wasn't actively searching for it. Our approach is to take anything stated in the press with some skepticism," he added.
Frank Discussions and Steady Philosophy
The captain made the "weak men" observation after England suffered a loss in the second Test to go two matches behind.
The England squad afterwards took a break to a Queensland resort between the second and the upcoming Tests.
Before this match, he said his players had held "raw" talks and he had urged them to "show a bit of dog" in their effort to stay in contention in the Ashes battle.
Yet, Crawley stated the guidance from the captain and head coach McCullum had stayed in line with their previous three years in charge.
"The atmosphere has been extremely upbeat, unchanged," said the opener. "It's just trying to be optimistic, playing our brand, with great liberty. We believed we could do something special entering this Test."
The Hosts On the Verge of Historic Ashes Triumph
Crawley's dismissal late on Saturday came during a crucial three-wicket burst by Australia off-spinner Lyon.
The spinner's three wickets in 20 deliveries – including the wickets of Brook and Stokes himself – left England 207-6 chasing a daunting target of 435.
Consequently, the home team need four wickets on Sunday's final day to secure an insurmountable 3-0 lead with three Tests.
Defeat will extend England's drought in Australia to 18 consecutive matches and ensure a fourth successive away Ashes defeat.
The current battle will be completed in just 11 days of cricket – after England fell the first two Tests in two and four days each.
The last time 1921, when Australia sealed a series win in the UK in eight days, has the destination of the Ashes urn been determined more swiftly. Australia have also triumphed in eleven days on two other occasions in the 21st century.
"It's disheartening," said the batsman. "We came here to regain the Ashes and we're facing elimination at this point."
"There will still be significant pride at stake and we will certainly approach it like that," he continued.
"It's been tough. Australia is a formidable team. It was inevitably tough touring here against them. They were the favourites and they've proven why."
Ollie Pope's Position In Question
Although Crawley's performance in the third Test probably answers doubts about his short-term future in the England team, Ollie Pope appears under immense pressure for his position in the fourth Test starting December 26th.
Pope was out for 17 runs in the team's second knock on day four, adding to his modest returns versus the old enemy.
Across 16 Ashes innings, the Surrey man has never made a fifty and averages just 17.62.
Only one other English batsman in over a century – Dennis Amiss – has featured an equal number of innings in the top six in the Ashes and recorded a lower average.
However, Crawley insisted any suggestion Pope is under the microscope comes from "you guys" – meaning the press – "and not within the team."
"The squad is fully aware 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. This is noise from the outside. There is no discussion like that on Ollie amongst the players," he finished.
