England opening batter Zak Crawley suggested he was not familiar with statements from captain Ben Stokes regarding the dressing room as no place for "weak men".
Stokes delivered this message in several interviews in the wake of England's loss in the second match of the Ashes versus Australia previously.
In the lead-up to the Adelaide Test, where the visitors now face defeat with a match to spare, the captain stated he had let his sentiment to "drift around" among the playing group.
"I have completed all the talking over the past two days that I required," said the England leader.
However, following Crawley made 85 on the fourth day in Adelaide, he stated: "I missed those remarks."
"I wasn't actively searching for it. We take everything that is said in the press with some skepticism," he added.
Raw Conversations and Steady Philosophy
The captain issued his "fragile individuals" observation after England were beaten in Brisbane to go two matches behind.
The team subsequently went on a break to a Queensland resort between the second and third Tests.
Prior to the Adelaide contest, he said his team had held "honest" talks and he had asked them to "display some fight" in their battle to remain alive in the series.
Nevertheless, the Kent batsman stated the messaging from Stokes and head coach Brendon McCullum had remained consistent with their prior three years in leadership.
"The atmosphere has been extremely upbeat, unchanged," noted the opener. "The focus is just trying to be optimistic, play our way, with lots of freedom. We believed we were capable of an extraordinary feat going into this game."
The Hosts Close of Historic Ashes Triumph
Crawley's dismissal on day four was part of a decisive three-wicket burst by Australia spinner Lyon.
The spinner's three wickets in a short spell – including the wickets of Harry Brook and Stokes himself – left the chasing side 207-6 in pursuit of a daunting target of 435.
Consequently, the home team require four wickets on the final day to move to an unassailable three-nil lead after three matches played.
Defeat will extend England's drought in Australia to 18 Tests and condemn them to a fourth straight overseas Ashes loss.
This series is set to be decided in just eleven days of cricket – after England losing the first two Tests in two and four days respectively.
The last time 1921, when the Australians completed victory in the UK in eight days, has the destination of the Ashes urn been determined so quickly. Australia have also triumphed in 11 days on two other instances in the 21st century.
"It's disheartening," admitted Crawley. "Our goal was to win the Ashes and we're staring down the barrel now."
"There remains plenty to play for and we'll certainly approach it with that mindset," Crawley added.
"It's been tough. They're a formidable team. It was inevitably hard coming here against them. They entered as the front-runners coming in to it have demonstrated their quality."
Ollie Pope's Place Under Scrutiny
Although Crawley's performance in the third Test likely secures doubts about his short-term place in the England team, Pope looks under threat 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 against the old enemy.
Across sixteen Ashes knocks, the Surrey man has never made a fifty and averages 17.62.
Only one other England player in over a century – Amiss – has featured an equal number of innings in the top six in Ashes Tests and recorded a poorer average.
However, the opener insisted any suggestion his teammate is under the microscope comes from "you guys" – referring to the journalists – "and not within the team."
"The squad is fully aware how good of a player he is," said Crawley. "Ollie has enjoyed a good year if I'm honest."
"He has played some really good knocks. It is noise from the outside. There's no chat of that nature regarding Pope amongst the players," he finished.
