The English opening batter Zak Crawley suggested he was not familiar with statements from captain Ben Stokes about the team environment as no place for "those lacking fortitude".
Stokes made this message in multiple conversations in the wake of his team's defeat in the second match of the Ashes series against the Australians earlier this month.
Ahead of the third Test, where the visitors now face a series loss with a match to spare, Stokes noted he had let his sentiment to "drift around" within the squad.
"I have completed the necessary discussions in recent days that I needed to have done," remarked the England leader.
But, after Crawley scored a knock of 85 on the penultimate day in the third Test, he commented: "I didn't see that."
"I didn't see and wasn't really looking out for it. We take everything that is said in the media with some skepticism," he added.
Raw Conversations and Steady Philosophy
Stokes issued his "weak men" comment subsequent to England were beaten in the second Test to fall two matches behind.
The England squad subsequently went on a break to Noosa between the second and the upcoming Tests.
Prior to the Adelaide contest, he said his team had held "honest" conversations and he had urged them to "display some fight" in their battle to stay in contention in the Ashes battle.
Yet, the Kent batsman asserted the messaging from the captain and head coach McCullum had stayed in line with their prior three years in leadership.
"The atmosphere has been very positive, unchanged," noted Crawley. "It's on maintaining positivity, playing our brand, with lots of freedom. It felt like we could do something special going into this Test."
Australia On the Verge of Rapid Series Victory
The opener's wicket late on Saturday was part of a decisive three-wicket burst by Australian spinner Lyon.
The spinner's triple strike in a short spell – he also bowled Brook and Ben Stokes – meant the chasing side 207-6 in pursuit of a daunting target of 435 runs.
Consequently, the home team need just four more wickets on the final day to move to an unassailable three-nil lead with three Tests.
A loss would prolong the English team's drought in this country to 18 Tests and condemn them to a fourth straight overseas Ashes defeat.
The current battle is set to be decided in only 11 days of cricket – with England losing the first two Tests in two and four days each.
The last time 1921, when Australia completed victory in England in eight days, has the outcome of the urn been determined so quickly. Australia have also triumphed in 11 days on two other occasions in the modern era.
"It's disappointing," said Crawley. "We came here to win the Ashes and we're staring down the barrel now."
"There will still be significant pride at stake and we will definitely view it with that mindset," he continued.
"It's been tough. They're a formidable side. It was inevitably hard coming here against them. They were the front-runners coming in to it have demonstrated their quality."
Ollie Pope's Position In Question
While Crawley's performance in the third Test likely secures questions about his short-term future in the side, Ollie Pope appears under immense pressure for his spot in the fourth Test starting December 26th.
Pope fell for 17 runs in England's second knock on Saturday, adding to his poor record against Australia.
Across 16 Ashes innings, Pope has failed to score a half-century and averages 17.62.
A solitary other English batsman in over a century – Dennis Amiss – has played as many times in the top order in the Ashes and returned a lower average.
However, the opener insisted any suggestion Pope is being scrutinised originates with "the media" – meaning the press – "and not within the team."
"We all know how good of a player he is," added he. "Ollie has enjoyed a good year to be frank."
"He has produced several excellent innings. This is noise from the outside. There is no discussion like that regarding Pope in the camp," Crawley concluded.
