The English opening batter Zak Crawley suggested he had no knowledge of comments made by captain Ben Stokes regarding the dressing room as no place for "weak men".
Stokes delivered those words in multiple conversations in the wake of his team's defeat in the second match of the Ashes series against the Australians earlier this month.
Ahead of the Adelaide Test, where England now face defeat with a match to spare, Stokes noted he had allowed his message to "drift around" among the playing group.
"I've done the necessary discussions over the past two days that I needed to have done," remarked the England leader.
However, after Crawley scored 85 on the penultimate day in the third Test, he stated: "I missed those remarks."
"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 Steady Philosophy
Stokes made the "weak men" observation after his side were beaten in the second Test to fall 2-0 down.
The team afterwards took a holiday to Noosa between the second and third matches.
Before this match, Stokes revealed his players had held "honest" conversations and he had urged them to "show a bit of dog" in their effort to remain alive in the series.
Nevertheless, the Kent batsman stated the guidance from the captain and coach McCullum had remained in line with their previous three years in charge.
"It's been very positive, unchanged," said the opener. "It's on maintaining positivity, playing our brand, with lots of freedom. We believed we were capable of an extraordinary feat entering this Test."
Australia On the Verge of Historic Ashes Triumph
Crawley's wicket late on Saturday was part of a decisive three-wicket burst by Australia off-spinner Lyon.
The spinner's triple strike in 20 deliveries – he also bowled Harry Brook and Ben Stokes – left the chasing side six down for 207 chasing a notional target of 435.
This means, Australia need just four more wickets on Sunday's final day to secure an insurmountable 3-0 advantage with three matches played.
Defeat will extend the English team's winless run in this country to 18 Tests and condemn them to a fourth straight overseas Ashes series defeat.
The current battle will be completed in only 11 days of play – with England fell the initial matches in rapid time respectively.
The last time 1921, when Australia sealed a series win in England 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 instances in the modern era.
"This is disheartening," admitted the batsman. "Our goal was to win the Ashes and we're staring down the barrel now."
"There remains significant pride at stake and we will certainly approach it like that," he continued.
"The challenge has been tough. They're a formidable side. It was inevitably hard touring here against them. They were the favourites coming in to it have demonstrated their quality."
Ollie Pope's Position In Question
While Crawley's innings in the third Test probably answers doubts about his short-term future in the England team, Ollie Pope looks under immense pressure for his position in the Melbourne Test on Boxing Day.
Pope was out for 17 in England's second knock on day four, adding to his modest returns versus Australia.
Across sixteen Ashes knocks, Pope has failed to score a half-century and averages 17.62.
A solitary other English batsman in over a century – Dennis Amiss – has played an equal number of innings in the top six in Ashes Tests and recorded a poorer average.
But, the opener insisted any suggestion Pope is under the microscope comes from "you guys" – referring to the press – "and not within the team."
"We all know of his considerable talent," said he. "He has had a good year if I'm honest."
"He has produced several excellent innings. It is noise from the outside. There is no chat of that nature on Ollie in the camp," Crawley finished.
