England opening batter Zak Crawley suggested he was not familiar with statements from captain Ben Stokes about the dressing room not being "weak men".
The all-rounder delivered this message in several conversations in the wake of his team's defeat in the second Ashes series against the Australians earlier this month.
Ahead of the Adelaide Test, where the visitors now face a series loss at the earliest opportunity, the captain noted he had let his sentiment to "drift around" among the squad.
"I have completed all the talking over the past two days that I required," said Stokes.
However, after Crawley scored 85 on the penultimate day in Adelaide, he stated: "I missed those remarks."
"I didn't see and wasn't really looking out for it. We take anything stated in the press with some skepticism," he added.
Raw Conversations and Steady Philosophy
Stokes made the "fragile individuals" comment subsequent to England were beaten in Brisbane to go two matches behind.
The team afterwards took a holiday to Noosa between the second and the upcoming Tests.
Before this match, he revealed his team had held "raw" conversations and he had asked them to "show a bit of dog" in their effort to stay alive in the series.
Nevertheless, Crawley stated the guidance from Stokes and head coach McCullum had stayed consistent with their previous tenure in leadership.
"It's been very positive, unchanged," said Crawley. "The focus is on maintaining positivity, playing our brand, with great liberty. We believed we could do something special entering this game."
The Hosts On the Verge of Historic Series Victory
The opener's dismissal on day four was part of a decisive three-wicket burst by Australia off-spinner Lyon.
The spinner's triple strike in a short spell – including the wickets of Harry Brook and Stokes himself – left England six down for 207 chasing a daunting target of 435 runs.
Consequently, the home team need just four more wickets on Sunday's final day to move to an insurmountable 3-0 lead with three matches played.
Defeat would prolong the English team's winless run in Australia to 18 Tests and condemn them to a fourth successive away Ashes series defeat.
The current battle will be completed in just eleven days of cricket – with England fell the first two Tests in two and four days each.
Not since 1921, when Australia sealed a series win in England in eight days, has the destination of the urn been decided so quickly. Australia have also triumphed in eleven days on two other occasions in the 21st century.
"This is disheartening," admitted the batsman. "We came here to win the Ashes and now we are facing elimination now."
"There remains significant pride at stake and we'll certainly approach it with that mindset," he continued.
"It's been difficult. Australia is a very, very good side. It was inevitably tough coming here against them. They entered as the favourites and they've proven why."
Pope's Position Under Scrutiny
While Crawley's innings in Adelaide likely secures doubts about his short-term place in the England team, Pope looks under threat for his spot in the Melbourne Test on Boxing Day.
The Surrey batsman fell for 17 runs in the team's second knock on Saturday, extending his modest returns against the old enemy.
In sixteen Ashes knocks, the Surrey man has never made a half-century and averages just 17.62.
Only one other England player in over a century – Dennis Amiss – has played as many times in the top order in Ashes Tests and returned a poorer average.
But, Crawley insisted any suggestion his teammate is under the microscope originates with "you guys" – referring to the journalists – "not inside the camp."
"The squad is fully aware how good of a player he is," said he. "Ollie has enjoyed a good year to be frank."
"He has played some really good knocks. It is talk externally. There's no discussion like that on Ollie in the camp," he finished.
