The English opening batter Zak Crawley has indicated he was not familiar with comments made by skipper Ben Stokes regarding the dressing room not being "weak men".
Stokes made those words in several conversations in the wake of his team's defeat in the second Ashes versus Australia earlier this month.
Ahead of the Adelaide Test, where the visitors now face a series loss at the earliest opportunity, the captain noted he had let his sentiment to "circulate freely" within the squad.
"I've done the necessary discussions over the past two days that I required," remarked Stokes.
However, after Crawley made 85 on the fourth day in the third Test, 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 some skepticism," Crawley continued.
Raw Conversations and Steady Philosophy
The captain made the "weak men" observation after England were beaten in the second Test to fall 2-0 down.
The team afterwards took a break to Noosa between the second and the upcoming Tests.
Prior to this match, he revealed his players had held "honest" conversations and he had asked them to "display some fight" in their battle to stay in contention in the Ashes battle.
Nevertheless, Crawley asserted the messaging from Stokes and coach McCullum had stayed consistent with their prior three years in leadership.
"The atmosphere has been extremely upbeat, 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 an extraordinary feat going into this Test."
The Hosts Close of Rapid Series Victory
Crawley's wicket late on Saturday was part of a decisive triple-strike by Australian off-spinner Nathan Lyon.
The spinner's triple strike in a short spell – including the wickets of Brook and Stokes himself – meant England six down for 207 in pursuit of a daunting target of 435 runs.
This means, Australia require just four more wickets on the final day to secure an unassailable 3-0 lead with three Tests.
A loss would prolong England's winless run in Australia to 18 Tests and ensure a fourth successive away Ashes series defeat.
This series is set to be decided in just eleven days of cricket – with England fell the initial matches in two and four days each.
Not since 1921, when the Australians completed a series win in the UK in eight days, has the outcome of the Ashes urn been determined more swiftly. Australia have also triumphed in eleven days on two other instances in the modern era.
"This is disappointing," admitted the batsman. "We came here to regain the Ashes and now we are facing elimination now."
"There will still be significant pride at stake and we will certainly approach it with that mindset," he continued.
"The challenge has been tough. Australia is a formidable side. It was inevitably hard touring here to face them. They were the favourites coming in to it they've proven why."
Ollie Pope's Place Under Scrutiny
While the opener's performance in Adelaide probably answers doubts about his immediate future in the England team, Pope appears under immense pressure for his position in the fourth Test starting December 26th.
The Surrey batsman fell for 17 runs in the team's second innings on Saturday, extending his poor record versus Australia.
Across sixteen Ashes knocks, the Surrey man has never made a fifty and boasts an average of 17.62.
Only one other England player in over a century – Amiss – has featured as many times in the top order in Ashes Tests and recorded a lower average.
But, the opener insisted any suggestion Pope is under the microscope originates with "the media" – meaning the press – "not inside the camp."
"The squad is fully aware of his considerable talent," added he. "Ollie has enjoyed a good year if I'm honest."
"He has played some really good knocks. This is talk externally. There is no discussion of that nature regarding Pope in the camp," Crawley concluded.
