England opener Zak Crawley suggested he was not familiar with statements made by captain Ben Stokes about the dressing room as no place for "weak men".
Stokes made this message in multiple conversations following England's defeat in the second Ashes against the Australians earlier this month.
In the lead-up to the Adelaide Test, where the visitors are staring at a series loss with a match to spare, Stokes stated he had let his message to "drift around" within the playing group.
"I've done 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 Adelaide, he stated: "I didn't see that."
"I wasn't actively searching for it. We take anything stated in the media with a pinch of salt," Crawley continued.
Raw Conversations and Consistent Messaging
Stokes issued his "fragile individuals" comment subsequent to England were beaten in the second Test to fall two matches behind.
The England squad afterwards went on a break to a Queensland resort in the gap between the second and the upcoming matches.
Before this match, he said his team had held "honest" talks and he had asked them to "display some fight" in their effort to remain alive in the Ashes battle.
Yet, the Kent batsman stated the messaging from the captain and coach Brendon McCullum had stayed consistent with their previous three years in charge.
"The atmosphere has been extremely upbeat, the same as always," noted the opener. "It's on maintaining positivity, playing our brand, with lots of freedom. It felt like we could do an extraordinary feat going into this Test."
The Hosts On the Verge of Rapid Series Victory
Crawley's dismissal on day four was part of a crucial three-wicket burst by Australian off-spinner Lyon.
The spinner's triple strike in a short spell – he also bowled Harry Brook and Ben Stokes – meant the chasing side six down for 207 chasing a daunting total of 435 runs.
Consequently, Australia require four wickets on Sunday's last day to secure an unassailable 3-0 advantage after three matches played.
Defeat will extend the English team's winless run in Australia to 18 Tests and condemn them to a fourth straight overseas Ashes defeat.
The current battle will be completed in just eleven days of play – after England losing the first two Tests in rapid time each.
The last time 1921, when Australia completed victory in the UK in eight days, has the outcome of the Ashes urn been determined so quickly. Australia have also won in 11 days on two other occasions in the modern era.
"This is disheartening," said the batsman. "Our goal was to win the Ashes and we're staring down the barrel now."
"There remains significant pride at stake and we will definitely view it with that mindset," Crawley added.
"It's been tough. Australia is a very, very good team. It was inevitably tough coming here against them. They entered as the favourites coming in to it they've proven why."
Pope's Position Under Scrutiny
Although the opener's performance in the third Test probably answers doubts about his immediate place in the England team, Pope looks under immense pressure for his position in the Melbourne Test on Boxing Day.
The Surrey batsman was out for 17 in England's second innings on day four, adding to his poor record against Australia.
In sixteen Ashes knocks, the Surrey man has failed to score a fifty and averages just 17.62.
Only one other English batsman in over a century – Amiss – has played as many times in the top order in the Ashes and returned a poorer average.
But, the opener said any notion his teammate is being scrutinised originates with "you guys" – meaning the press – "and not within the team."
"The squad is fully aware of his considerable talent," said he. "He has had a productive year if I'm honest."
"He has played some really good knocks. This is noise from the outside. There is no discussion of that nature regarding Pope in the camp," Crawley concluded.
