The English opener Zak Crawley has indicated he was not familiar with comments from skipper Ben Stokes regarding the dressing room not being "weak men".
The all-rounder delivered this message in several conversations following England's defeat in the second Ashes series versus Australia previously.
In the lead-up to the third Test, where the visitors now face a series loss at the earliest opportunity, Stokes stated he had let his sentiment to "drift around" within the squad.
"I've done all the talking over the past two days that I required," remarked the England leader.
However, following the opener scored a knock of 85 on the fourth day in the third Test, he commented: "I didn't see that."
"I didn't see and wasn't really looking out for it. Our approach is to take anything stated in the press with some skepticism," Crawley continued.
Frank Discussions and Steady Philosophy
The captain made the "weak men" comment subsequent to his side were beaten in Brisbane to go two matches behind.
The England squad afterwards took a holiday to a Queensland resort between the second and the upcoming Tests.
Prior to the Adelaide contest, he said his players had held "raw" talks and he had asked them to "show a bit of dog" in their effort to stay alive in the series.
Nevertheless, the Kent batsman asserted the messaging from Stokes and coach Brendon McCullum had stayed consistent with their previous tenure in charge.
"The atmosphere has been extremely upbeat, the same as always," noted Crawley. "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 Test."
The Hosts Close of Rapid Ashes Triumph
The opener's dismissal late on Saturday was part of a crucial triple-strike by Australia off-spinner Lyon.
Lyon's triple strike in 20 deliveries – he also bowled Brook and Ben Stokes – meant England six down for 207 chasing a daunting target of 435.
This means, the home team need just four more wickets on the final day to secure an insurmountable three-nil advantage after three matches played.
Defeat will extend England's winless run in Australia to 18 Tests and ensure a fourth straight overseas Ashes series loss.
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 Australia sealed a series win in England in eight days, has the destination of the urn been determined so quickly. The hosts have also won in eleven days on two other occasions in the 21st century.
"This is disappointing," admitted Crawley. "Our goal was to win the Ashes and now we are staring down the barrel now."
"There will still be plenty to play for and we'll definitely view it like that," Crawley added.
"It's been tough. Australia is a very, very good team. It was always going to be tough touring here to face them. They entered as the front-runners and they've proven why."
Pope's Place Under Scrutiny
While the opener's innings in Adelaide probably answers questions about his short-term future in the England team, Ollie Pope appears under threat for his spot in the fourth Test on Boxing Day.
The Surrey batsman fell for 17 runs in the team's second knock on day four, adding to his modest returns against Australia.
In sixteen Ashes knocks, the Surrey man has failed to score a fifty and boasts an average of 17.62.
A solitary other England player since 1900 – Amiss – has featured as many times in the top order in Ashes Tests and recorded a lower average.
But, the opener said any suggestion his teammate is under the microscope comes from "the media" – meaning the journalists – "not inside the camp."
"The squad is fully aware how good of a player he is," said Crawley. "He has had a good year if I'm honest."
"He has played several excellent innings. It is talk externally. There is no chat like that on Ollie in the camp," he concluded.
