The English opening batter Zak Crawley has indicated he was not familiar with statements made by captain Ben Stokes regarding the dressing room as no place for "those lacking fortitude".
Stokes made those words in several conversations in the wake of England's defeat in the second match of the Ashes versus Australia previously.
Ahead of the Adelaide Test, where the visitors now face defeat with a match to spare, the captain noted he had let his sentiment to "circulate freely" among the playing group.
"I have completed all the talking in recent days that I required," said Stokes.
However, after Crawley made a knock of 85 on the penultimate day in the third Test, he stated: "I missed those remarks."
"I wasn't actively searching for it. We take anything stated in the media with some skepticism," Crawley continued.
Raw Conversations and Consistent Messaging
Stokes made the "weak men" comment after England were beaten in Brisbane to fall 2-0 down.
The team afterwards went on a holiday to a Queensland resort between the second and the upcoming matches.
Prior to this match, Stokes said his players had held "raw" conversations and he had urged them to "display some fight" in their effort to remain alive in the series.
Nevertheless, Crawley asserted the messaging from Stokes and head coach McCullum had stayed consistent with their previous three years in charge.
"It's been extremely upbeat, unchanged," said Crawley. "The focus is on maintaining positivity, playing our brand, with great liberty. We believed we could do an extraordinary feat entering this Test."
The Hosts Close of Historic Series Victory
Crawley's dismissal on day four was part of a decisive triple-strike by Australia off-spinner Lyon.
Lyon's triple strike in 20 deliveries – including the wickets of Brook and Stokes himself – meant the chasing side 207-6 chasing a daunting target of 435.
This means, Australia require four wickets on the last day to secure an insurmountable 3-0 lead with three matches played.
A loss will extend England's winless run in Australia to 18 consecutive matches and ensure a fourth successive away Ashes defeat.
The current battle is set to be decided in just 11 days of play – after England fell the initial matches in two and four days respectively.
Not since 1921, when the Australians completed victory in England in eight days, has the outcome of the Ashes urn been determined so quickly. The hosts have also triumphed in 11 days on two other occasions in the 21st century.
"This is disheartening," said the batsman. "Our goal was to regain the Ashes and we're facing elimination now."
"There remains plenty to play for and we'll definitely view it with that mindset," Crawley added.
"It's been tough. They're a very, very good side. It was always going to be hard coming here to face them. They entered as the front-runners coming in to it have demonstrated their quality."
Pope's Place In Question
While Crawley's innings in the third Test likely secures doubts about his short-term place in the England team, Ollie Pope appears under immense pressure for his position in the Melbourne Test on Boxing Day.
Pope was out for 17 in England's second innings on day four, adding to his poor record versus the old enemy.
In sixteen Ashes knocks, Pope has never made a half-century and averages just 17.62.
Only one other English batsman since 1900 – Dennis Amiss – has featured as many times in the top six in Ashes Tests and returned a lower average.
However, the opener insisted any suggestion his teammate is under the microscope comes from "you guys" – referring to the journalists – "and not within the team."
"We all know how good of a player he is," added Crawley. "He has had a productive year to be frank."
"He has produced several excellent innings. It is talk from the outside. There is no discussion like that on Ollie amongst the players," Crawley concluded.
