The English opener Zak Crawley has indicated he had no knowledge of comments from skipper Ben Stokes about the dressing room not being "weak men".
Stokes made those words in multiple interviews following his team's loss in the second Ashes series versus the Australians earlier this month.
In the lead-up to the third Test, where England are staring at defeat with a match to spare, Stokes noted he had allowed his sentiment to "circulate freely" among the squad.
"I have completed all the talking over the past two days that I required," said the England leader.
But, after the opener scored 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 press with some skepticism," Crawley continued.
Frank Discussions and Steady Philosophy
The captain made the "weak men" observation subsequent to his side suffered a loss in the second Test to go 2-0 down.
The England squad subsequently went on a break to a Queensland resort between the second and the upcoming matches.
Prior to this match, he revealed his team had held "raw" talks and he had urged them to "show a bit of dog" in their effort to remain alive in the series.
Yet, Crawley asserted the guidance from Stokes and head coach Brendon McCullum had remained consistent with their previous three years in charge.
"The atmosphere has been very positive, the same as always," noted Crawley. "The focus is on maintaining positivity, play our way, with great liberty. We believed we were capable of an extraordinary feat entering this Test."
The Hosts On the Verge of Historic Series Victory
Crawley's dismissal late on Saturday came during a crucial three-wicket burst by Australian off-spinner Nathan Lyon.
The spinner's three wickets in a short spell – including the wickets of Brook and Ben Stokes – meant the chasing side 207-6 in pursuit of a notional total of 435 runs.
This means, Australia need just four more wickets on Sunday's last day to secure an insurmountable 3-0 advantage with three matches played.
Defeat would prolong England's drought in this country to 18 Tests and condemn them to a fourth straight away Ashes series loss.
This series will be completed in only 11 days of play – after England fell the first two Tests in rapid time each.
Not since 1921, when Australia sealed a series win in England in eight days, has the destination of the Ashes urn been decided more swiftly. Australia have also triumphed in 11 days on two other occasions in the modern era.
"It's disappointing," said the batsman. "Our goal was to win the Ashes and we're staring down the barrel now."
"There will still be plenty to play for and we'll definitely view it with that mindset," Crawley added.
"It's been tough. They're a very, very good side. It was always going to be hard coming here against them. They were the front-runners and have demonstrated their quality."
Ollie Pope's Position In Question
Although Crawley's innings in Adelaide probably answers questions about his short-term place in the side, Pope looks under immense pressure for his spot in the fourth Test starting December 26th.
The Surrey batsman fell for 17 in the team's second knock on Saturday, adding to his modest returns versus the old enemy.
In 16 Ashes innings, the Surrey man has failed to score a fifty and averages 17.62.
Only one other English batsman since 1900 – Amiss – has featured as many times in the top six in Ashes Tests and recorded a poorer average.
However, the opener said any notion his teammate is under the microscope comes from "you guys" – meaning the press – "and not within the team."
"We all know how good of a player he is," said he. "He has had a productive year if I'm honest."
"He has played some really good knocks. This is noise from the outside. There's no discussion of that nature regarding Pope in the camp," he concluded.
