The English opener Zak Crawley has indicated he had no knowledge of statements made by skipper Ben Stokes regarding the team environment not being "those lacking fortitude".
Stokes delivered this message in multiple interviews following his team's loss in the second match of the Ashes versus the Australians earlier this month.
Ahead of the Adelaide Test, where the visitors now face defeat with a match to spare, Stokes stated he had let his message to "circulate freely" within the playing group.
"I have completed all the talking in recent days that I needed to have done," said the England leader.
However, following Crawley scored a knock of 85 on the fourth day in Adelaide, he commented: "I didn't see that."
"I wasn't actively searching for it. Our approach is to take everything that is said in the media with some skepticism," he added.
Raw Conversations and Consistent Messaging
The captain made the "fragile individuals" observation subsequent to England suffered a loss in the second Test to fall two matches behind.
The England squad subsequently took a holiday to Noosa between the second and the upcoming Tests.
Prior to the Adelaide contest, he revealed his players had held "raw" conversations and he had urged them to "show a bit of dog" in their battle to remain alive in the series.
Nevertheless, Crawley stated the messaging from the captain and coach McCullum had remained consistent with their previous three years in charge.
"The atmosphere has been extremely upbeat, unchanged," noted the opener. "The focus is on maintaining positivity, play our way, with lots of freedom. It felt like we were capable of something special entering this game."
Australia Close of Historic Ashes Triumph
Crawley's wicket late on Saturday came during a decisive triple-strike by Australian spinner Lyon.
The spinner's three wickets in 20 deliveries – including the wickets of Harry Brook and Stokes himself – meant the chasing side six down for 207 in pursuit of a notional total of 435 runs.
Consequently, the home team need just four more wickets on the last day to move to an unassailable three-nil advantage with three matches played.
Defeat would prolong England's drought in Australia to 18 consecutive matches and condemn them to a fourth straight away Ashes series loss.
The current battle is set to be decided in just eleven days of play – with England losing the first two Tests in two and four days respectively.
The last time 1921, when the Australians sealed victory in the UK in eight days, has the destination of the urn been decided so quickly. Australia have also triumphed in 11 days on two other occasions in the modern era.
"It's disappointing," said the batsman. "We came here to regain the Ashes and now we are staring down the barrel at this point."
"There remains significant pride at stake and we'll definitely view it like that," he continued.
"The challenge has been tough. Australia is a very, very good team. It was inevitably tough coming here to face them. They were the front-runners coming in to it have demonstrated their quality."
Pope's Position Under Scrutiny
While the opener's performance in the third Test probably answers questions about his short-term place in the side, Pope looks under immense pressure for his spot in the Melbourne Test starting December 26th.
Pope was out for 17 runs in the team's second knock on day four, adding to his poor record against Australia.
In sixteen Ashes knocks, Pope has never made a fifty and averages 17.62.
Only one other England player in over a century – Dennis Amiss – has featured an equal number of innings in the top order in the Ashes and returned a poorer average.
But, the opener insisted any suggestion his teammate is under the microscope comes from "you guys" – meaning the journalists – "and not within the team."
"The squad is fully aware how good of a player he is," said Crawley. "He has had a good year if I'm honest."
"He has played some really good knocks. It is talk from the outside. There is no discussion of that nature on Ollie amongst the players," Crawley finished.
