The English opening batter Zak Crawley suggested he had no knowledge of comments from skipper Ben Stokes regarding the dressing room as no place for "weak men".
Stokes made this message in multiple conversations in the wake of his team's defeat in the second match of the Ashes versus the Australians previously.
Ahead of the third Test, where the visitors now face defeat with a match to spare, the captain stated he had allowed his message to "drift around" within the playing group.
"I have completed all the talking over the past two days that I needed to have done," said the England leader.
But, following the opener scored a knock of 85 on the fourth day in Adelaide, he stated: "I didn't see that."
"I didn't see and wasn't really looking out for it. We take everything that is said in the media with some skepticism," Crawley continued.
Frank Discussions and Steady Philosophy
Stokes issued his "weak men" observation after his side suffered a loss 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, Stokes said his players had held "honest" talks and he had asked them to "show a bit of dog" in their battle to stay alive in the Ashes battle.
Yet, Crawley asserted the guidance from Stokes and head coach McCullum had stayed consistent with their prior tenure in charge.
"The atmosphere has been extremely upbeat, unchanged," said Crawley. "It's on maintaining positivity, playing our brand, with great liberty. We believed we were capable of something special going into this Test."
The Hosts Close of Historic Ashes Triumph
The opener's wicket on day four came during a decisive three-wicket burst by Australia spinner Lyon.
The spinner's triple strike in 20 deliveries – including the wickets of Brook and Ben Stokes – left the chasing side six down for 207 chasing a notional total of 435.
Consequently, the home team require four wickets on the final day to move to an insurmountable 3-0 lead after three matches played.
A loss would prolong England's winless run in this country to 18 Tests and condemn them to a fourth successive away Ashes series loss.
The current battle is set to be decided in only eleven days of cricket – after England fell the first two Tests in two and four days respectively.
The last time 1921, when the Australians sealed victory in England in eight days, has the outcome of the Ashes urn been decided more swiftly. Australia have also won in eleven days on two other occasions in the 21st century.
"It's disheartening," said the batsman. "Our goal was to win the Ashes and now we are staring down the barrel at this point."
"There remains plenty to play for and we'll definitely view it like that," he continued.
"The challenge has been tough. They're a formidable team. It was inevitably tough coming here to face them. They entered as the favourites coming in to it they've proven why."
Pope's Position Under Scrutiny
Although Crawley's innings in Adelaide probably answers questions about his short-term place in the side, Ollie Pope looks under immense pressure for his spot in the fourth Test starting December 26th.
Pope was out for 17 runs in the team's second knock on day four, extending his poor record versus the old enemy.
In sixteen Ashes knocks, Pope has failed to score a fifty and averages just 17.62.
A solitary other English batsman in over a century – Dennis Amiss – has played as many times in the top order in the Ashes and recorded a poorer average.
However, the opener insisted any suggestion his teammate is being scrutinised originates with "the media" – meaning the journalists – "and not within the team."
"We all know of his considerable talent," added Crawley. "He has had a good year to be frank."
"He has played several excellent innings. This is noise from the outside. There is no chat like that regarding Pope in the camp," Crawley concluded.
