The English opener Zak Crawley has indicated he was not familiar with statements from skipper Ben Stokes about the dressing room not being "weak men".
The all-rounder made those words in multiple interviews in the wake of his team's loss in the second Ashes series versus Australia previously.
In the lead-up to the third Test, where the visitors are staring at defeat with a match to spare, Stokes stated he had allowed his message to "circulate freely" among the playing group.
"I have completed the necessary discussions in recent days that I needed to have done," said the England leader.
But, following 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 everything that is said in the press with some skepticism," Crawley continued.
Frank Discussions and Consistent Messaging
Stokes issued his "fragile individuals" observation subsequent to England were beaten in the second Test to go two matches behind.
The England squad afterwards took a holiday to Noosa in the gap between the second and third Tests.
Before this match, he revealed his players had held "honest" talks and he had asked them to "display some fight" in their battle to remain in contention in the Ashes battle.
Yet, the Kent batsman asserted the messaging from the captain and coach Brendon McCullum had stayed consistent with their previous three years in leadership.
"The atmosphere has been very positive, unchanged," said the opener. "It's just trying to be optimistic, play our way, with lots of freedom. We believed we could do an extraordinary feat entering this Test."
The Hosts Close of Rapid Ashes Triumph
Crawley's dismissal late on Saturday came during a decisive three-wicket burst by Australian off-spinner Lyon.
The spinner's three wickets in a short spell – he also bowled Brook and Ben Stokes – meant England six down for 207 chasing a daunting target of 435.
This means, Australia require four wickets on the final day to secure an unassailable 3-0 lead with three matches played.
Defeat will extend England's winless run in Australia to 18 consecutive matches and condemn them to a fourth successive away Ashes series loss.
The current battle is set to be decided in only 11 days of play – after England losing the first two Tests in two and four days respectively.
The last time 1921, when the Australians completed a series win in England in eight days, has the outcome of the Ashes urn been determined so quickly. The hosts have also triumphed in eleven days on two other occasions in the modern era.
"It's disappointing," admitted Crawley. "Our goal was to win the Ashes and now we are facing elimination at this point."
"There remains significant pride at stake and we will definitely view it with that mindset," Crawley added.
"The challenge has been tough. They're a formidable team. It was inevitably tough touring here against them. They entered as the front-runners coming in to it they've proven why."
Pope's Position Under Scrutiny
While Crawley's innings in Adelaide probably answers doubts about his short-term place in the England team, Ollie Pope looks under immense pressure for his position in the Melbourne Test on Boxing Day.
The Surrey batsman fell for 17 in the team's second knock on day four, extending his modest returns against the old enemy.
In sixteen Ashes knocks, Pope has never made a fifty and boasts an average of 17.62.
Only one other English batsman in over a century – Amiss – has played as many times in the top six in Ashes Tests and returned a lower average.
However, the opener said any suggestion his teammate is under the microscope comes from "the media" – referring to the journalists – "and not within the team."
"The squad is fully aware how good of a player he is," added Crawley. "He has had a productive year to be frank."
"He has played several excellent innings. It is talk externally. There's no chat like that on Ollie amongst the players," he concluded.
