England opening batter Zak Crawley suggested he was not familiar with statements from skipper Ben Stokes regarding the team environment as no place for "weak men".
The all-rounder made this message in multiple interviews following his team's defeat in the second Ashes against Australia previously.
Ahead of the third Test, where the visitors now face defeat with a match to spare, the captain noted he had let his message to "drift around" among the playing group.
"I have completed the necessary discussions in recent days that I required," remarked Stokes.
But, following the opener made a knock of 85 on the fourth day in Adelaide, he stated: "I missed those remarks."
"I wasn't actively searching for it. We take everything that is said in the media with some skepticism," Crawley continued.
Frank Discussions and Steady Philosophy
The captain issued his "fragile individuals" observation subsequent to England suffered a loss in Brisbane to fall two matches behind.
The England squad subsequently took a holiday to a Queensland resort between the second and the upcoming Tests.
Prior to this match, he said his team had held "raw" talks and he had urged them to "display some fight" in their effort to stay alive in the series.
Nevertheless, Crawley stated the guidance from Stokes and coach Brendon McCullum had remained in line with their prior tenure in leadership.
"It's been extremely upbeat, the same as always," said Crawley. "It's on maintaining positivity, play our way, with great liberty. It felt like we could do an extraordinary feat going into this game."
The Hosts On the Verge of Rapid Ashes Triumph
The opener's wicket on day four came during a decisive three-wicket burst by Australian spinner Nathan Lyon.
The spinner's triple strike 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.
This means, the home team need four wickets on the final day to secure an insurmountable 3-0 advantage after three matches played.
Defeat will extend England's drought in this country to 18 Tests and condemn them to a fourth straight overseas Ashes series defeat.
The current battle is set to be decided in just 11 days of cricket – with England fell the initial matches in two and four days each.
Not since 1921, when Australia completed victory in the UK in eight days, has the outcome of the urn been determined more swiftly. Australia have also won in 11 days on two other instances in the 21st century.
"This is disheartening," admitted Crawley. "Our goal was to regain the Ashes and we're staring down the barrel at this point."
"There remains plenty to play for and we will definitely view it like that," Crawley added.
"It's been tough. Australia is a formidable team. It was inevitably hard touring here to face them. They were the front-runners and they've proven why."
Pope's Position In Question
Although Crawley's innings in the third Test probably answers doubts about his immediate future in the England team, Ollie Pope looks under threat for his position in the Melbourne Test on Boxing Day.
Pope was out for 17 runs in the team's second knock on Saturday, extending his poor record against the old enemy.
In sixteen Ashes knocks, Pope has failed to score a fifty and boasts an average of 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 Ashes Tests and recorded a poorer average.
However, the opener said any suggestion Pope is being scrutinised comes from "you guys" – referring to the journalists – "not inside the camp."
"We all know how good of a player he is," said he. "He has had a productive year to be frank."
"He has produced some really good knocks. This is noise from the outside. There's no chat of that nature on Ollie in the camp," he finished.
