England opening batter Zak Crawley suggested he had no knowledge of comments made by captain Ben Stokes about the team environment as no place for "weak men".
Stokes made this message in several conversations following his team's defeat in the second Ashes series against Australia earlier this month.
Ahead of the third Test, where the visitors now face defeat with a match to spare, the captain stated he had let his sentiment to "drift around" within the squad.
"I have completed all the talking in recent days that I needed to have done," remarked Stokes.
But, after the opener made a knock of 85 on the penultimate day in Adelaide, he stated: "I missed those remarks."
"I wasn't actively searching for it. Our approach is to take anything stated in the press with some skepticism," he added.
Raw Conversations and Consistent Messaging
Stokes made the "weak men" observation subsequent to his side were beaten in Brisbane to go 2-0 down.
The team subsequently went on a holiday to Noosa between the second and the upcoming Tests.
Before the Adelaide contest, Stokes said his team had held "raw" talks and he had urged them to "display some fight" in their effort to remain alive in the Ashes battle.
Nevertheless, the Kent batsman asserted the guidance from the captain and coach McCullum had stayed consistent with their previous tenure in charge.
"It's been very positive, the same as always," said the opener. "The focus is just trying to be optimistic, playing our brand, with lots of freedom. It felt like we could do something special entering this game."
The Hosts Close of Rapid Series Victory
Crawley's wicket late on Saturday was part of a crucial three-wicket burst by Australia spinner Lyon.
Lyon's three wickets in a short spell – including the wickets of Brook and Stokes himself – meant the chasing side 207-6 chasing a notional total of 435.
This means, Australia need just four more wickets on the last day to move to an unassailable 3-0 lead after three Tests.
A loss will extend England's drought in Australia to 18 Tests and ensure a fourth straight away Ashes series defeat.
This series will be completed in only 11 days of cricket – after England fell the first two Tests in rapid time respectively.
Not since 1921, when Australia sealed a series win in the UK in eight days, has the outcome of the Ashes urn been decided more swiftly. The hosts have also won in eleven days on two other occasions in the modern era.
"This is disheartening," said the batsman. "We came here to win the Ashes and we're staring down the barrel now."
"There will still be plenty to play for and we'll definitely view it like that," he continued.
"It's been tough. Australia is a formidable side. It was always going to be hard coming here to face them. They were the favourites coming in to it they've proven why."
Ollie Pope's Place Under Scrutiny
While the opener's innings in Adelaide probably answers doubts about his immediate future in the side, Pope appears under threat for his spot in the Melbourne Test on Boxing Day.
The Surrey batsman was out for 17 in the team's second innings on Saturday, extending his poor record against Australia.
In sixteen Ashes knocks, Pope has never made a fifty and averages 17.62.
Only one other England player in over a century – Amiss – has featured as many times in the top order in Ashes Tests and recorded a lower average.
However, Crawley said any suggestion his teammate is being scrutinised originates with "you guys" – meaning the journalists – "not inside the camp."
"We all know how good of a player he is," added he. "He has had a productive year if I'm honest."
"He has played some really good knocks. It is noise externally. There is no discussion of that nature on Ollie amongst the players," he finished.
