England opening batter Zak Crawley has indicated he had no knowledge of comments made by skipper Ben Stokes about the dressing room not being "those lacking fortitude".
Stokes made those words in multiple interviews in the wake of his team's defeat in the second match of the Ashes against the Australians earlier this month.
In the lead-up to the Adelaide Test, where the visitors are staring at a series loss with a match to spare, Stokes noted he had allowed his message to "drift around" within 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 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 anything stated in the press with some skepticism," Crawley continued.
Frank Discussions and Consistent Messaging
The captain issued his "fragile individuals" comment after England suffered a loss in the second Test to fall 2-0 down.
The team subsequently went on a holiday to Noosa between the second and the upcoming Tests.
Before this match, Stokes revealed his players had held "honest" conversations and he had asked them to "display some fight" in their effort to stay in contention in the series.
Yet, the Kent batsman asserted the messaging from Stokes and head coach McCullum had remained consistent with their previous tenure in charge.
"The atmosphere has been extremely upbeat, unchanged," noted the opener. "The focus is just trying to be optimistic, playing our brand, with lots of freedom. We believed we were capable of something special entering this game."
Australia Close of Rapid Ashes Triumph
The opener's wicket late on Saturday came during a decisive three-wicket burst by Australia off-spinner Lyon.
Lyon's triple strike in a short spell – including the wickets of Brook and Stokes himself – meant the chasing side 207-6 chasing a notional total of 435 runs.
Consequently, the home team require just four more wickets on the last day to move to an unassailable three-nil advantage after three matches played.
Defeat would prolong England's winless run in this country to 18 consecutive matches and condemn them to a fourth straight away Ashes defeat.
This series will be completed in only eleven days of cricket – with England losing the first two Tests in two and four days respectively.
Not since 1921, when the Australians sealed victory in the UK in eight days, has the outcome of the Ashes urn been determined more swiftly. Australia have also won in eleven days on two other occasions in the 21st century.
"This is disappointing," said Crawley. "We came here to regain the Ashes and we're facing elimination at this point."
"There remains significant pride at stake and we'll definitely view it with that mindset," Crawley added.
"The challenge has been difficult. Australia is a very, very good side. It was inevitably hard coming here to face them. They entered as the front-runners coming in to it they've proven why."
Ollie Pope's Position Under Scrutiny
While Crawley's performance in Adelaide probably answers doubts about his immediate place in the side, Pope looks under immense pressure for his spot in the fourth Test on Boxing Day.
Pope fell for 17 in England's second knock on day four, adding to his poor record versus the old enemy.
In 16 Ashes innings, the Surrey man has failed to score a half-century and boasts an average of just 17.62.
A solitary other England player 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 said any notion Pope is under the microscope comes from "you guys" – referring to the journalists – "not inside the camp."
"The squad is fully aware of his considerable talent," said he. "He has had a productive year to be frank."
"He has produced some really good knocks. This is talk externally. There is no discussion like that regarding Pope in the camp," Crawley concluded.
