England opener Zak Crawley suggested he was not familiar with comments from skipper Ben Stokes about the dressing room as no place for "weak men".
The all-rounder delivered those words in several interviews in the wake of his team's loss in the second Ashes against Australia previously.
Ahead of the third Test, where the visitors now face defeat at the earliest opportunity, the captain noted he had allowed his message to "drift around" among the playing group.
"I have completed the necessary discussions over the past two days that I needed to have done," remarked the England leader.
However, after the opener made a knock of 85 on the penultimate day in Adelaide, he commented: "I missed those remarks."
"I wasn't actively searching for it. We take everything that is said in the press with a pinch of salt," Crawley continued.
Frank Discussions and Consistent Messaging
Stokes issued his "fragile individuals" comment after his side suffered a loss in the second Test to fall 2-0 down.
The team subsequently went on a break to a Queensland resort between the second and the upcoming matches.
Prior to this match, Stokes revealed his players had held "raw" conversations and he had urged them to "display some fight" in their effort to stay in contention in the series.
Nevertheless, Crawley stated the messaging from Stokes and head coach Brendon McCullum had stayed consistent with their prior three years in charge.
"The atmosphere has been very positive, unchanged," noted the opener. "It's on maintaining positivity, play our way, with lots of freedom. It felt like we were capable of an extraordinary feat going into this Test."
Australia On the Verge of Rapid Series Victory
The opener's dismissal late on Saturday came during a crucial three-wicket burst by Australia off-spinner Lyon.
Lyon's three wickets in 20 deliveries – he also bowled Brook and Ben Stokes – left the chasing side 207-6 chasing a daunting total of 435 runs.
Consequently, the home team require just four more wickets on the final day to secure an unassailable three-nil advantage after three Tests.
Defeat would prolong England's winless run in this country to 18 Tests and ensure a fourth straight overseas Ashes loss.
This series is set to be decided in just eleven days of cricket – after England losing the first two Tests in rapid time 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 triumphed in eleven days on two other occasions in the modern era.
"This is disappointing," admitted the batsman. "We came here to win the Ashes and we're staring down the barrel now."
"There remains significant pride at stake and we'll certainly approach it with that mindset," Crawley added.
"It's been tough. They're a formidable team. It was always going to be tough coming here against them. They entered as the favourites coming in to it have demonstrated their quality."
Ollie Pope's Position Under Scrutiny
While the opener's innings in Adelaide likely secures doubts about his short-term future in the side, Pope looks under immense pressure for his position 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 never made a fifty and averages just 17.62.
A solitary other English batsman in over a century – Amiss – has featured as many times in the top six in the Ashes and recorded a poorer average.
However, the opener said any suggestion Pope is under the microscope originates with "the media" – referring to the journalists – "and not within the team."
"The squad is fully aware how good of a player he is," said he. "Ollie has enjoyed a productive year if I'm honest."
"He has produced several excellent innings. This is noise externally. There's no chat of that nature on Ollie in the camp," Crawley finished.
