England opening batter Zak Crawley suggested he was not familiar with statements made by captain Ben Stokes regarding the dressing room as no place for "weak men".
Stokes delivered this message in several interviews in the wake of England's defeat in the second match of the Ashes against the Australians previously.
Ahead of the Adelaide Test, where the visitors are staring at a series loss at the earliest opportunity, Stokes stated he had allowed his sentiment to "drift around" within the playing group.
"I've done all the talking in recent days that I required," said Stokes.
But, after the opener made 85 on the fourth day in the third Test, he stated: "I didn't see that."
"I wasn't actively searching for it. We take anything stated in the media with some skepticism," Crawley continued.
Frank Discussions and Steady Philosophy
The captain issued his "fragile individuals" comment subsequent to his side suffered a loss in the second Test to go 2-0 down.
The team subsequently went on a holiday to Noosa between the second and third Tests.
Before this match, he said his team had held "raw" talks and he had urged them to "show a bit of dog" in their effort to stay alive in the Ashes battle.
Yet, the Kent batsman stated the guidance from Stokes and coach Brendon McCullum had stayed in line with their prior three years in charge.
"The atmosphere has been very positive, the same as always," said the opener. "The focus is on maintaining positivity, play our way, with great liberty. We believed we could do something special going into this Test."
Australia On the Verge of Historic Series Victory
The opener's wicket on day four was part of a decisive triple-strike by Australia spinner Lyon.
The spinner's triple strike in a short spell – including the wickets of Harry Brook and Stokes himself – left England 207-6 in pursuit of a notional target of 435.
This means, Australia need four wickets on the final day to secure an unassailable 3-0 lead with three matches played.
A loss will extend England's winless run in Australia to 18 consecutive matches and condemn them to a fourth successive away Ashes series defeat.
This series is set to be decided in only eleven days of cricket – after England fell the first two Tests in rapid time respectively.
Not since 1921, when the Australians sealed a series win in the UK 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 instances in the modern era.
"This is disappointing," admitted Crawley. "Our goal was to win the Ashes and we're staring down the barrel at this point."
"There remains plenty to play for and we will definitely view it with that mindset," he continued.
"The challenge has been tough. They're a very, very good side. It was always going to be tough touring here to face them. They were the front-runners coming in to it have demonstrated their quality."
Ollie Pope's Position In Question
While Crawley's performance in the third Test likely secures questions about his immediate future in the England team, Ollie Pope looks under immense pressure for his position in the fourth Test starting December 26th.
The Surrey batsman fell for 17 runs in the team's second innings on day four, extending his modest returns against the old enemy.
In 16 Ashes innings, the Surrey man has never made a half-century and boasts an average of just 17.62.
Only one other English batsman since 1900 – Dennis Amiss – has played an equal number of innings in the top order in Ashes Tests and returned a lower average.
But, the opener insisted any notion his teammate is under the microscope comes from "you guys" – meaning the press – "and not within the team."
"We all know of his considerable talent," added he. "He has had a good year if I'm honest."
"He has produced some really good knocks. It is talk externally. There is no discussion of that nature on Ollie amongst the players," Crawley concluded.
