The English opener Zak Crawley suggested he had no knowledge of statements from skipper Ben Stokes regarding the dressing room as no place for "those lacking fortitude".
The all-rounder delivered those words in multiple interviews in the wake of his team's defeat in the second match of the Ashes against Australia previously.
In the lead-up to the Adelaide Test, where the visitors now face defeat with a match to spare, the captain stated he had let his message to "drift around" within the playing group.
"I've done all the talking in recent days that I required," remarked Stokes.
But, after the opener made a knock of 85 on the penultimate day in the third Test, he commented: "I didn't see that."
"I wasn't actively searching for it. We take everything that is said in the press with some skepticism," he added.
Frank Discussions and Consistent Messaging
Stokes issued his "weak men" observation after England were beaten in the second Test to go 2-0 down.
The England squad afterwards took a break to a Queensland resort in the gap between the second and the upcoming matches.
Before this match, Stokes said his players had held "raw" conversations and he had asked them to "display some fight" in their effort to stay alive in the series.
Nevertheless, Crawley asserted the guidance from Stokes and head coach McCullum had stayed in line with their prior three years in charge.
"It's been extremely upbeat, the same as always," noted the opener. "The focus is just trying to be optimistic, playing our brand, with great liberty. We believed we were capable of something special entering this game."
Australia Close of Historic Ashes Triumph
Crawley's dismissal late on Saturday came during a crucial triple-strike by Australia spinner Lyon.
Lyon's three wickets in a short spell – he also bowled Brook and Ben Stokes – left the chasing side 207-6 chasing a notional target of 435.
This means, Australia need just four more wickets on the final day to move to an unassailable 3-0 advantage after three Tests.
A loss will extend the English team's drought in this country to 18 Tests and ensure a fourth successive overseas Ashes defeat.
This series will be completed in just 11 days of play – with England fell the initial matches in rapid time respectively.
Not since 1921, when Australia completed victory in England in eight days, has the destination of the Ashes urn been determined so quickly. Australia have also won in 11 days on two other instances in the 21st century.
"It's disheartening," admitted the batsman. "Our goal was to win the Ashes and we're staring down the barrel now."
"There remains plenty to play for and we will certainly approach it like that," Crawley added.
"The challenge has been tough. They're a very, very good team. It was inevitably hard coming here to face them. They were the front-runners coming in to it they've proven why."
Pope's Position In Question
Although Crawley's performance in the third Test likely secures questions about his short-term future in the England team, Ollie Pope appears under immense pressure for his position in the Melbourne Test starting December 26th.
The Surrey batsman was out for 17 in the team's second innings on Saturday, extending his poor record against Australia.
Across sixteen Ashes knocks, Pope has failed to score a fifty and averages just 17.62.
A solitary other English batsman in over a century – Dennis Amiss – has featured as many times in the top order in the Ashes and returned a poorer average.
But, Crawley said any notion his teammate is being scrutinised originates with "you guys" – meaning the journalists – "and not within the team."
"We all know how good of a player he is," said he. "Ollie has enjoyed a productive year if I'm honest."
"He has played several excellent innings. It is noise from the outside. There is no chat of that nature on Ollie amongst the players," he concluded.
