The English opener Zak Crawley has indicated he was not familiar with comments made by captain Ben Stokes about the team environment not being "weak men".
The all-rounder delivered this message in multiple conversations in the wake of England's defeat in the second match of the Ashes series versus the Australians previously.
Ahead of the third Test, where England now face defeat at the earliest opportunity, the captain noted he had allowed his sentiment to "circulate freely" among the squad.
"I have completed the necessary discussions in recent days that I required," said the England leader.
But, after the opener made 85 on the penultimate day in Adelaide, he commented: "I missed those remarks."
"I didn't see and wasn't really looking out for it. Our approach is to take anything stated in the press with a pinch of salt," he added.
Frank Discussions and Consistent Messaging
Stokes issued his "weak men" observation after his side were beaten in Brisbane to go 2-0 down.
The team afterwards went on a break to a Queensland resort in the gap between the second and third matches.
Before this match, he said his team had held "raw" talks and he had urged them to "show a bit of dog" in their effort to stay alive in the Ashes battle.
Nevertheless, Crawley asserted the messaging from the captain and coach Brendon McCullum had remained consistent with their prior three years in charge.
"It's been very positive, unchanged," noted the opener. "It's just trying to be optimistic, playing our brand, with great liberty. It felt like we were capable of something special going into this game."
The Hosts Close of Rapid Ashes Triumph
The opener's dismissal late on Saturday came during a decisive triple-strike by Australia spinner Lyon.
The spinner's three wickets in a short spell – he also bowled Harry Brook and Ben Stokes – meant England 207-6 in pursuit of a notional target of 435.
This means, Australia require four wickets on Sunday's last day to secure an unassailable 3-0 lead after three Tests.
Defeat will extend England's winless run in Australia to 18 consecutive matches and ensure a fourth straight away Ashes series defeat.
This series will be completed in just 11 days of cricket – with England losing the first two Tests in two and four days each.
Not since 1921, when the Australians completed victory in England in eight days, has the destination of the Ashes urn been determined so quickly. The hosts have also triumphed in 11 days on two other occasions in the modern era.
"This is disappointing," admitted the batsman. "We came here to win the Ashes and now we are staring down the barrel at this point."
"There will still be significant pride at stake and we'll definitely view it with that mindset," Crawley added.
"It's been tough. They're a formidable side. It was always going to be tough touring here to face them. They entered as the front-runners coming in to it have demonstrated their quality."
Ollie Pope's Place In Question
While Crawley's innings in the third Test probably answers questions about his immediate place in the side, Ollie Pope looks under immense pressure for his spot in the Melbourne Test starting December 26th.
Pope was out for 17 in England's second knock on day four, adding to his poor record against Australia.
In sixteen Ashes knocks, the Surrey man has failed to score a half-century and averages 17.62.
A solitary other England player in over a century – Amiss – has played an equal number of innings in the top order in Ashes Tests and returned a poorer average.
However, Crawley said any suggestion his teammate is being scrutinised originates with "the media" – referring to the journalists – "not inside the camp."
"The squad is fully aware how good of a player he is," added he. "Ollie has enjoyed a productive year to be frank."
"He has produced several excellent innings. It is noise from the outside. There is no chat like that on Ollie amongst the players," Crawley finished.
