England opening batter Zak Crawley suggested he was not familiar with statements from captain Ben Stokes about the team environment not being "those lacking fortitude".
Stokes delivered those words in multiple conversations following his team's defeat in the second Ashes against the Australians earlier this month.
Ahead of the third Test, where England now face defeat at the earliest opportunity, Stokes noted he had let his message to "circulate freely" within the squad.
"I've done all the talking over the past two days that I needed to have done," remarked Stokes.
But, after Crawley scored 85 on the penultimate day in Adelaide, he commented: "I missed those remarks."
"I wasn't actively searching for it. Our approach is to take anything stated in the media with a pinch of salt," Crawley continued.
Frank Discussions and Steady Philosophy
Stokes made the "fragile individuals" comment after England were beaten in Brisbane to fall 2-0 down.
The team afterwards took a break to a Queensland resort in the gap between the second and third matches.
Before the Adelaide contest, Stokes said his players had held "honest" conversations and he had urged them to "show a bit of dog" in their battle to stay in contention in the Ashes battle.
Yet, Crawley asserted the messaging from Stokes and head coach Brendon McCullum had stayed consistent with their prior three years in leadership.
"The atmosphere has been extremely upbeat, the same as always," said Crawley. "It's just trying to be optimistic, play our way, with lots of freedom. We believed we were capable of an extraordinary feat entering this game."
Australia On the Verge of Historic Series Victory
Crawley's wicket late on Saturday was part of a decisive triple-strike by Australia spinner Nathan Lyon.
The spinner's three wickets in 20 deliveries – he also bowled Brook and Stokes himself – left England 207-6 in pursuit of a daunting total of 435 runs.
Consequently, the home team need four wickets on Sunday's final day to move to an unassailable 3-0 lead with three matches played.
A loss will extend the English team's winless run in this country to 18 consecutive matches and ensure a fourth straight overseas Ashes series loss.
This series is set to be decided in just eleven days of cricket – after England fell the initial matches in rapid time each.
Not since 1921, when the Australians completed victory in the UK in eight days, has the outcome of the Ashes urn been determined more swiftly. The hosts have also won in eleven days on two other occasions in the 21st century.
"It's disappointing," admitted the batsman. "Our goal was to win the Ashes and now we are facing elimination now."
"There remains plenty to play for and we will definitely view it with that mindset," he continued.
"The challenge has been tough. Australia is a very, very good team. It was always going to be hard touring here to face them. They were the front-runners coming in to it they've proven why."
Pope's Place Under Scrutiny
While the opener's innings in Adelaide likely secures doubts about his short-term place in the side, Pope appears under immense pressure for his spot in the fourth Test on Boxing Day.
The Surrey batsman was out for 17 in England's second knock on day four, adding to his modest returns against Australia.
In 16 Ashes innings, Pope has never made a fifty and boasts an average of just 17.62.
Only one other England player in over a century – Dennis Amiss – has played an equal number of innings in the top order in the Ashes and recorded a poorer average.
But, the opener insisted any suggestion his teammate is under the microscope comes from "you guys" – meaning the press – "not inside the camp."
"We all know how good of a player he is," added he. "Ollie has enjoyed a productive year to be frank."
"He has produced some really good knocks. This is noise externally. There is no discussion like that on Ollie amongst the players," Crawley concluded.
