The English opening batter Zak Crawley suggested he had no knowledge of statements from skipper Ben Stokes about the team environment as no place for "those lacking fortitude".
Stokes made those words in multiple interviews in the wake of his team's defeat in the second match of the Ashes versus the Australians previously.
In the lead-up to the Adelaide Test, where England are staring at defeat at the earliest opportunity, Stokes noted he had allowed his message to "circulate freely" among the playing group.
"I have completed all the talking over the past two days that I needed to have done," said the England leader.
However, after Crawley scored 85 on the penultimate day in Adelaide, he stated: "I missed those remarks."
"I didn't see and wasn't really looking out for it. We take anything stated in the press with some skepticism," he added.
Raw Conversations and Consistent Messaging
Stokes made the "fragile individuals" observation subsequent to his side suffered a loss in the second Test to fall 2-0 down.
The England squad afterwards took a holiday to a Queensland resort between the second and the upcoming Tests.
Before this match, Stokes said his players had held "raw" talks and he had asked them to "display some fight" in their battle to stay in contention in the Ashes battle.
Nevertheless, the Kent batsman asserted the guidance from the captain and head coach McCullum had remained consistent with their prior three years in leadership.
"It's been very positive, the same as always," noted Crawley. "The focus is just trying to be optimistic, play our way, with great liberty. We believed we could do something special entering this Test."
The Hosts On the Verge of Rapid Series Victory
The opener's wicket late on Saturday was part of a crucial three-wicket burst by Australia spinner Lyon.
Lyon's triple strike in a short spell – including the wickets of Harry Brook and Ben Stokes – left the chasing side 207-6 in pursuit of a notional total of 435 runs.
Consequently, the home team need four wickets on Sunday's last day to move to an unassailable 3-0 lead with three Tests.
A loss would prolong England's winless run in Australia to 18 Tests and condemn them to a fourth straight overseas Ashes loss.
This series will be completed in just eleven days of cricket – after England losing the initial matches in two and four days respectively.
The last time 1921, when Australia sealed victory in the UK in eight days, has the destination of the urn been decided more swiftly. Australia have also triumphed in eleven days on two other instances in the 21st century.
"This is disheartening," said the batsman. "Our goal was to win the Ashes and now we are staring down the barrel now."
"There remains significant pride at stake and we will definitely view it with that mindset," Crawley added.
"The challenge has been difficult. Australia is a formidable side. It was always going to be tough touring here to face them. They entered as the favourites and have demonstrated their quality."
Ollie Pope's Position Under Scrutiny
While Crawley's performance in the third Test probably answers doubts about his short-term place in the England team, Pope appears under threat for his position in the fourth Test on Boxing Day.
Pope was out for 17 runs in England's second innings on day four, extending his poor record against Australia.
Across 16 Ashes innings, the Surrey man has failed to score a fifty and boasts an average of 17.62.
A solitary other England player in over a century – Amiss – has played an equal number of innings in the top six in Ashes Tests and returned a lower average.
However, the opener insisted any notion his teammate is under the microscope comes from "you guys" – referring to the press – "and not within the team."
"The squad is fully aware how good of a player he is," added he. "Ollie has enjoyed a good year to be frank."
"He has played several excellent innings. This is noise externally. There's no chat like that on Ollie in the camp," he finished.
