The English opener Zak Crawley has indicated he was not familiar with statements from captain Ben Stokes about the dressing room not being "those lacking fortitude".
Stokes made this message in multiple interviews in the wake of England's defeat in the second match of the Ashes against 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 noted he had let his message to "drift around" among the squad.
"I have completed all the talking in recent days that I required," said the England leader.
However, after the opener scored 85 on the penultimate day in Adelaide, he stated: "I missed those remarks."
"I wasn't actively searching for it. We take anything stated in the media with a pinch of salt," he added.
Frank Discussions and Steady Philosophy
The captain issued his "fragile individuals" observation after England suffered a loss in Brisbane to fall two matches behind.
The England squad afterwards went on a break to Noosa in the gap between the second and third matches.
Prior to the Adelaide contest, he said his team had held "honest" talks and he had asked them to "show a bit of dog" in their effort to remain alive in the series.
Nevertheless, the Kent batsman asserted the guidance from the captain and head coach Brendon McCullum had remained consistent with their prior tenure in leadership.
"It's been extremely upbeat, the same as always," noted Crawley. "The focus is on maintaining positivity, playing our brand, with great liberty. It felt like we could do something special entering this Test."
The Hosts On the Verge of Historic Ashes Triumph
Crawley's wicket late on Saturday was part of a crucial three-wicket burst by Australia spinner Nathan Lyon.
The spinner's triple strike in a short spell – he also bowled Harry Brook and Stokes himself – left England six down for 207 in pursuit of a daunting target of 435 runs.
This means, the home team need just four more wickets on the last day to secure an insurmountable 3-0 advantage with three Tests.
Defeat will extend the English team's drought in Australia to 18 consecutive matches and condemn them to a fourth successive overseas Ashes series defeat.
This series is set to be decided in only eleven days of cricket – with England fell the first two Tests in two and four days respectively.
Not since 1921, when the Australians completed a series win in England in eight days, has the destination of the Ashes urn been determined so quickly. Australia have also triumphed in eleven days on two other occasions in the modern era.
"This is disappointing," said Crawley. "Our goal was to regain the Ashes and now we are staring down the barrel at this point."
"There will still be plenty to play for and we'll certainly approach it with that mindset," he continued.
"The challenge has been tough. Australia is a very, very good side. It was inevitably tough touring here to face them. They entered as the favourites and have demonstrated their quality."
Ollie Pope's Position Under Scrutiny
Although the opener's performance in the third Test probably answers doubts about his short-term place in the side, Ollie Pope appears under threat for his position in the fourth Test on Boxing Day.
The Surrey batsman fell for 17 in the team's second knock on Saturday, adding to his modest returns versus Australia.
In 16 Ashes innings, the Surrey man has failed to score a half-century and boasts an average of 17.62.
A solitary other England player in over a century – Dennis Amiss – has played an equal number of innings in the top six in Ashes Tests and recorded a lower average.
However, the opener insisted any notion his teammate is under the microscope comes from "you guys" – meaning the journalists – "not inside the camp."
"We all know how good of a player he is," said he. "He has had a good year if I'm honest."
"He has played several excellent innings. This is noise externally. There is no discussion of that nature on Ollie in the camp," Crawley finished.
