The English opening batter Zak Crawley has indicated he had no knowledge of comments made by skipper Ben Stokes about the team environment not being "those lacking fortitude".
Stokes made this message in multiple conversations in the wake of England's loss in the second Ashes series versus Australia previously.
In the lead-up to the Adelaide Test, where the visitors now face a series loss with a match to spare, Stokes noted he had allowed his message to "circulate freely" among the squad.
"I have completed all the talking over the past two days that I needed to have done," remarked the England leader.
However, after Crawley made a knock of 85 on the penultimate day in the third Test, 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 media with some skepticism," Crawley continued.
Frank Discussions and Steady Philosophy
Stokes issued his "fragile individuals" comment subsequent to England were beaten in the second Test to fall 2-0 down.
The England squad subsequently took a break to Noosa in the gap between the second and third Tests.
Before this match, Stokes said his team had held "honest" conversations and he had urged them to "show a bit of dog" in their battle to stay in contention in the series.
Nevertheless, the Kent batsman asserted the guidance from the captain and head coach Brendon McCullum had stayed in line with their prior tenure in charge.
"The atmosphere has been very positive, the same as always," said Crawley. "It's on maintaining positivity, play our way, with lots of freedom. We believed we were capable of something special going into this game."
The Hosts Close of Rapid Series Victory
The opener's dismissal on day four was part of a decisive three-wicket burst by Australia off-spinner Lyon.
The spinner's triple strike in a short spell – including the wickets of Harry Brook and Ben Stokes – meant England 207-6 in pursuit of a daunting target of 435.
Consequently, Australia require just four more wickets on the last day to secure an insurmountable three-nil lead with three Tests.
Defeat will extend the English team's winless run in this country to 18 Tests and condemn them to a fourth straight away Ashes series defeat.
The current battle is set to be decided in only eleven days of play – with England fell the first two Tests in two and four days each.
Not since 1921, when Australia sealed victory in the UK in eight days, has the destination of the urn been determined more swiftly. Australia have also won in 11 days on two other occasions in the modern era.
"It's disappointing," said the batsman. "We came here to regain the Ashes and we're facing elimination at this point."
"There remains significant pride at stake and we will certainly approach it with that mindset," he continued.
"It's been difficult. Australia is a formidable team. It was inevitably tough touring here to face them. They were the front-runners coming in to it have demonstrated their quality."
Ollie Pope's Place In Question
Although the opener's innings in Adelaide likely secures doubts about his immediate place in the side, Pope looks under threat for his position in the Melbourne Test starting December 26th.
The Surrey batsman was out for 17 runs in the team's second innings on day four, extending his modest returns against Australia.
Across sixteen Ashes knocks, the Surrey man has failed to score a half-century 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 lower average.
But, Crawley insisted any notion his teammate is under the microscope originates with "the media" – meaning the press – "and not within the team."
"We all know of his considerable talent," added he. "He has had a productive year to be frank."
"He has played some really good knocks. It is noise from the outside. There is no discussion of that nature regarding Pope amongst the players," Crawley finished.
