The English opener Zak Crawley suggested he was not familiar with statements from captain Ben Stokes regarding the dressing room not being "those lacking fortitude".
The all-rounder made this message in multiple interviews following his team's loss in the second Ashes versus Australia earlier this month.
In the lead-up to the third Test, where England now face defeat at the earliest opportunity, Stokes noted he had allowed his message to "circulate freely" within the playing group.
"I have completed all the talking over the past two days that I needed to have done," remarked Stokes.
But, following Crawley scored 85 on the penultimate day in the third Test, 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.
Raw Conversations and Steady Philosophy
The captain issued his "fragile individuals" observation subsequent to England suffered a loss in the second Test to go two matches behind.
The team afterwards took a holiday to a Queensland resort between the second and the upcoming Tests.
Before the Adelaide contest, Stokes said his team had held "raw" conversations and he had urged them to "show a bit of dog" in their effort to remain in contention 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, unchanged," said the opener. "The focus is on maintaining positivity, playing our brand, with great liberty. It felt like we were capable of an extraordinary feat entering this Test."
Australia On the Verge of Historic Ashes Triumph
Crawley's wicket late on Saturday came during a decisive three-wicket burst by Australia off-spinner Lyon.
The spinner's three wickets in a short spell – including the wickets of Brook and Stokes himself – meant England 207-6 in pursuit of a notional total of 435 runs.
This means, Australia need just four more wickets on Sunday's final day to secure an insurmountable three-nil advantage with three Tests.
Defeat would prolong England's drought in Australia to 18 consecutive matches and condemn them to a fourth successive overseas Ashes series loss.
The current battle is set to be decided in just eleven days of play – after England losing the first two Tests in two and four days each.
Not since 1921, when the Australians sealed victory in England in eight days, has the outcome of the urn been determined so quickly. Australia have also won in eleven days on two other instances in the modern era.
"This is disappointing," admitted the batsman. "Our goal was to regain the Ashes and now we are facing elimination at this point."
"There will still be significant pride at stake and we will definitely view it with that mindset," he continued.
"It's been difficult. They're a formidable side. It was inevitably tough touring here to face them. They entered as the front-runners and they've proven why."
Pope's Place In Question
While the opener's innings in the third Test probably answers questions about his immediate place in the England team, Pope appears under threat for his spot in the Melbourne Test on Boxing Day.
Pope fell for 17 in England's second innings on Saturday, adding to his modest returns against the old enemy.
Across sixteen Ashes knocks, Pope has never made a fifty and averages 17.62.
Only one other England player in over a century – Amiss – has played an equal number of innings in the top six in the Ashes and recorded a poorer average.
However, the opener insisted any notion Pope is under the microscope comes from "you guys" – referring to 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 to be frank."
"He has produced some really good knocks. This is talk from the outside. There is no discussion of that nature on Ollie in the camp," Crawley finished.
