The English opening batter Zak Crawley suggested he was not familiar with comments made by captain Ben Stokes regarding the team environment as no place for "weak men".
Stokes delivered this message in multiple conversations following England's defeat in the second Ashes versus Australia earlier this month.
Ahead of the third Test, where England now face a series loss with a match to spare, Stokes stated he had let his message to "circulate freely" among the playing group.
"I've done all the talking over the past two days that I needed to have done," remarked the England leader.
But, after the opener scored 85 on the fourth day in Adelaide, he commented: "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," Crawley continued.
Raw Conversations and Consistent Messaging
The captain issued his "fragile individuals" observation subsequent to England suffered a loss in Brisbane to go 2-0 down.
The team subsequently went on a holiday to Noosa between the second and the upcoming matches.
Before this match, Stokes revealed his team had held "raw" talks and he had asked them to "show a bit of dog" in their effort to stay in contention in the series.
Yet, the Kent batsman asserted the messaging from the captain and head coach Brendon McCullum had stayed consistent with their previous tenure in leadership.
"The atmosphere has been extremely upbeat, unchanged," noted the opener. "The focus is just trying to be optimistic, play our way, with lots of freedom. We believed we were capable of something special going into this Test."
Australia On the Verge of Historic Ashes Triumph
The opener's dismissal late on Saturday was part of a decisive three-wicket burst by Australian off-spinner Lyon.
The spinner's three wickets in 20 deliveries – he also bowled Brook and Ben Stokes – left England six down for 207 in pursuit of a notional total of 435.
This means, Australia require just four more wickets on the last day to move to an unassailable three-nil lead after three matches played.
Defeat will extend the English team's drought in this country to 18 Tests and ensure a fourth straight away Ashes loss.
This series will be completed in just eleven days of cricket – after England fell the first two Tests in rapid time each.
The last time 1921, when the Australians completed victory in England in eight days, has the outcome of the urn been decided more swiftly. Australia have also won in 11 days on two other instances in the modern era.
"It's disheartening," admitted Crawley. "We came here to win the Ashes and now we are staring down the barrel now."
"There will still be significant pride at stake and we will definitely view it with that mindset," Crawley added.
"The challenge has been difficult. They're a formidable side. It was always going to be hard coming here to face them. They entered as the favourites and they've proven why."
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 position in the Melbourne Test starting December 26th.
Pope fell for 17 in the team's second innings on day four, adding to his modest returns against the old enemy.
Across sixteen Ashes knocks, Pope has never made a fifty and boasts an average of 17.62.
A solitary other English batsman since 1900 – Amiss – has featured an equal number of innings in the top six in the Ashes and returned a poorer average.
However, the opener said any notion Pope is being scrutinised comes from "you guys" – referring to the journalists – "and not within the team."
"We all know of his considerable talent," said Crawley. "He has had a productive year if I'm honest."
"He has produced several excellent innings. This is noise externally. There's no chat of that nature on Ollie in the camp," Crawley concluded.
