England opening batter Zak Crawley has indicated he had no knowledge of statements made by captain Ben Stokes regarding the dressing room not being "those lacking fortitude".
Stokes made this message in multiple conversations in the wake of his team's defeat in the second match of the Ashes series versus Australia previously.
Ahead of the third Test, where England are staring at defeat at the earliest opportunity, the captain stated he had allowed his message to "drift around" among the playing group.
"I've done the necessary discussions in recent days that I needed to have done," said the England leader.
But, after the opener made a knock of 85 on the penultimate day in Adelaide, he stated: "I didn't see that."
"I wasn't actively searching for it. We take everything that is said in the media with a pinch of salt," he added.
Raw Conversations and Steady Philosophy
The captain made the "weak men" observation after his side suffered a loss in the second Test to fall two matches behind.
The England squad afterwards went on a holiday to a Queensland resort in the gap between the second and the upcoming matches.
Prior to the Adelaide contest, he said his players had held "honest" talks and he had asked them to "show a bit of dog" in their battle to remain in contention in the Ashes battle.
Yet, the Kent batsman asserted the guidance from the captain and head coach Brendon McCullum had stayed consistent with their previous tenure in leadership.
"The atmosphere has been extremely upbeat, unchanged," noted the opener. "The focus is just trying to be optimistic, play our way, with great liberty. We believed we could do something special entering this Test."
Australia Close of Historic Ashes Triumph
The opener's wicket on day four was part of a decisive triple-strike by Australian off-spinner Lyon.
Lyon's three wickets in 20 deliveries – he also bowled Harry Brook and Stokes himself – left the chasing side 207-6 in pursuit of a daunting total of 435 runs.
This means, the home team require four wickets on the final day to move to an insurmountable 3-0 advantage with three matches played.
A loss will extend the English team's winless run in this country to 18 consecutive matches and condemn them to a fourth successive away Ashes defeat.
The current battle 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 completed victory in the UK in eight days, has the outcome of the Ashes urn been decided more swiftly. The hosts have also triumphed in 11 days on two other occasions in the modern era.
"This is disappointing," admitted Crawley. "Our goal was to win the Ashes and we're facing elimination now."
"There remains significant pride at stake and we will certainly approach it like that," he continued.
"The challenge has been difficult. They're a formidable side. It was inevitably hard touring here to face them. They entered as the favourites coming in to it have demonstrated their quality."
Ollie Pope's Place In Question
While Crawley's innings in the third Test probably answers questions about his immediate future in the side, Pope looks 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, extending his modest returns versus the old enemy.
Across 16 Ashes innings, Pope has failed to score a half-century and averages just 17.62.
Only one other England player in over a century – Dennis Amiss – has played as many times in the top order in the Ashes and recorded a poorer average.
However, the opener insisted any notion his teammate is under the microscope comes from "you guys" – meaning the journalists – "and not within the team."
"The squad is fully aware of his considerable talent," said he. "He has had a good year if I'm honest."
"He has produced several excellent innings. It is talk externally. There is no discussion of that nature on Ollie in the camp," he finished.
