The English opener Zak Crawley suggested he was not familiar with comments made by skipper Ben Stokes regarding the team environment as no place for "weak men".
Stokes made those words in several conversations in the wake of his team's defeat in the second match of the Ashes against Australia previously.
In the lead-up to the third Test, where England are staring at defeat with a match to spare, the captain stated he had allowed his sentiment to "circulate freely" among the squad.
"I've done all the talking in recent days that I needed to have done," said 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 didn't see and wasn't really looking out for it. Our approach is to take anything stated in the media with a pinch of salt," he added.
Frank Discussions and Consistent Messaging
The captain issued his "weak men" comment after his side were beaten in the second Test to fall two matches behind.
The England squad afterwards went on a break to Noosa between the second and third matches.
Prior to this match, Stokes said his players had held "honest" talks and he had urged them to "show a bit of dog" in their effort to stay alive in the Ashes battle.
Nevertheless, the Kent batsman asserted the messaging from Stokes and head coach McCullum had stayed in line with their previous tenure in leadership.
"It's been extremely upbeat, unchanged," noted Crawley. "It's just trying to be optimistic, play our way, with lots of freedom. It felt like we could do an extraordinary feat entering this Test."
Australia On the Verge of Historic Series Victory
Crawley's wicket on day four came during a decisive three-wicket burst by Australia spinner Lyon.
Lyon's three wickets in 20 deliveries – he also bowled Brook and Ben Stokes – meant the chasing side 207-6 chasing a daunting target of 435 runs.
This means, Australia require four wickets on Sunday's last day to secure an unassailable three-nil lead with three matches played.
Defeat will extend the English team's winless run in this country to 18 consecutive matches and ensure a fourth successive away Ashes defeat.
This series will be completed in just eleven days of cricket – with England fell the initial matches in two and four days respectively.
Not since 1921, when Australia completed victory in the UK in eight days, has the outcome of the Ashes urn been decided more swiftly. The hosts have also won in 11 days on two other instances in the 21st century.
"This is disheartening," admitted the batsman. "We came here to regain the Ashes and we're staring down the barrel now."
"There will still be significant pride at stake and we'll definitely view it with that mindset," he continued.
"The challenge has been tough. Australia is a very, very good team. It was inevitably tough touring here to face them. They were the front-runners and have demonstrated their quality."
Ollie Pope's Position Under Scrutiny
Although the opener's performance in Adelaide likely secures doubts about his immediate place in the England team, Ollie Pope appears under threat for his position in the fourth Test on Boxing Day.
The Surrey batsman was out for 17 runs in the team's second innings on Saturday, extending his modest returns versus the old enemy.
Across 16 Ashes innings, Pope has failed to score a fifty and boasts an average of 17.62.
Only one other English batsman since 1900 – Dennis Amiss – has featured as many times in the top order in the Ashes and recorded a lower average.
But, Crawley insisted any notion his teammate is being scrutinised originates with "you guys" – meaning the journalists – "and not within the team."
"We all know of his considerable talent," added Crawley. "He has had a good year if I'm honest."
"He has produced some really good knocks. It is talk externally. There's no discussion of that nature on Ollie amongst the players," Crawley concluded.
