The English opener Zak Crawley suggested he had no knowledge of comments made by skipper Ben Stokes regarding the team environment not being "those lacking fortitude".
The all-rounder delivered this message in multiple conversations in the wake of his team's loss in the second match of the Ashes versus Australia earlier this month.
In the lead-up to the Adelaide Test, where England are staring at defeat at the earliest opportunity, Stokes stated he had let his sentiment to "drift around" within the playing group.
"I've done all the talking over the past two days that I needed to have done," said Stokes.
But, after Crawley made 85 on the penultimate day in Adelaide, he commented: "I didn't see that."
"I didn't see and wasn't really looking out for it. Our approach is to take everything that is said in the media with a pinch of salt," Crawley continued.
Frank Discussions and Consistent Messaging
The captain made the "fragile individuals" observation after his side were beaten in the second Test to go two matches behind.
The team subsequently went on a break to Noosa between the second and the upcoming Tests.
Prior to the Adelaide contest, Stokes said his players had held "honest" conversations and he had asked them to "display some fight" in their battle to remain alive in the series.
Nevertheless, Crawley asserted the messaging from Stokes and head coach Brendon McCullum had stayed consistent with their previous tenure in leadership.
"The atmosphere has been very positive, unchanged," noted the opener. "It's just trying to be optimistic, play our way, with lots of freedom. It felt like we were capable of something special entering this Test."
The Hosts On the Verge of Rapid Series Victory
The opener's wicket on day four came during a decisive three-wicket burst by Australia spinner Nathan Lyon.
The spinner's triple strike in 20 deliveries – he also bowled Harry Brook and Stokes himself – left England 207-6 in pursuit of a daunting total of 435 runs.
Consequently, Australia need just four more wickets on the last day to secure an unassailable 3-0 advantage after three matches played.
Defeat will extend the English team's winless run in Australia to 18 Tests and ensure a fourth straight overseas Ashes series defeat.
This series will be completed in just eleven days of play – after England losing the initial matches in rapid time respectively.
Not since 1921, when Australia sealed victory in the UK in eight days, has the outcome of the urn been decided so quickly. Australia have also triumphed in eleven days on two other instances in the 21st century.
"This is disheartening," admitted the batsman. "Our goal was to win the Ashes and now we are staring down the barrel now."
"There will still be significant pride at stake and we will definitely view it with that mindset," he continued.
"The challenge has been difficult. Australia is a very, very good team. It was always going to be hard touring here against them. They were the favourites coming in to it they've proven why."
Ollie Pope's Place In Question
While the opener's performance in the third Test likely secures doubts about his immediate future in the England team, Ollie Pope appears under threat for his position in the Melbourne Test on Boxing Day.
Pope fell for 17 in the team's second innings on Saturday, extending his poor record versus the old enemy.
Across sixteen Ashes knocks, Pope has never made a half-century and boasts an average of just 17.62.
Only one other English batsman since 1900 – Dennis Amiss – has played an equal number of innings in the top six in Ashes Tests and returned a lower average.
But, the opener said any suggestion his teammate is under the microscope comes from "you guys" – meaning the journalists – "and not within the team."
"The squad is fully aware how good of a player he is," added he. "Ollie has enjoyed a productive year to be frank."
"He has produced several excellent innings. It is noise from the outside. There's no chat like that on Ollie in the camp," Crawley finished.
