The English opener Zak Crawley has indicated he was not familiar with statements made by skipper Ben Stokes about the team environment as no place for "weak men".
Stokes delivered those words in multiple interviews in the wake of England's loss in the second Ashes series versus the Australians previously.
In the lead-up to the Adelaide Test, where England are staring at defeat at the earliest opportunity, Stokes noted he had let his message to "drift around" among the playing group.
"I have completed the necessary discussions in recent days that I needed to have done," remarked Stokes.
However, following Crawley made 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 everything that is said in the press with a pinch of salt," he added.
Frank Discussions and Steady Philosophy
The captain made the "fragile individuals" observation after England were beaten in the second Test to go 2-0 down.
The team afterwards took a holiday to a Queensland resort in the gap between the second and the upcoming matches.
Prior to the Adelaide contest, he revealed his team had held "raw" talks and he had asked them to "display some fight" in their effort to remain in contention in the series.
Yet, the Kent batsman asserted the messaging from Stokes and coach Brendon McCullum had stayed in line with their previous three years in charge.
"The atmosphere has been very positive, the same as always," noted Crawley. "It's on maintaining positivity, play our way, with great liberty. It felt like we could do an extraordinary feat entering this game."
The Hosts Close of Historic Ashes Triumph
The opener's dismissal on day four came during a crucial triple-strike by Australian off-spinner Nathan Lyon.
Lyon's three wickets in 20 deliveries – he also bowled Harry Brook and Ben Stokes – meant England 207-6 in pursuit of a daunting total of 435.
This means, the home team require four wickets on the final day to move to an unassailable 3-0 lead with three matches played.
A loss would prolong England's winless run in this country to 18 consecutive matches and ensure a fourth successive away Ashes loss.
The current battle is set to be decided in only 11 days of cricket – with England fell the initial matches in two and four days each.
The last time 1921, when the Australians completed a series win in England in eight days, has the destination of the Ashes urn been decided more swiftly. Australia have also triumphed in 11 days on two other instances in the 21st century.
"It's disappointing," said the batsman. "We came here to win the Ashes and we're facing elimination at this point."
"There remains significant pride at stake and we will certainly approach it with that mindset," Crawley added.
"The challenge has been tough. Australia is a formidable team. It was inevitably hard touring here to face them. They entered as the favourites coming in to it have demonstrated their quality."
Ollie Pope's Place Under Scrutiny
Although the opener's performance in Adelaide probably answers questions about his immediate future in the side, Ollie Pope appears under threat for his position in the fourth Test on Boxing Day.
Pope fell for 17 in the team's second knock on day four, extending his modest returns versus Australia.
In sixteen Ashes knocks, Pope has failed to score a fifty and boasts an average of 17.62.
Only one other English batsman in over a century – Amiss – has played an equal number of innings in the top order in Ashes Tests and returned a lower average.
But, the opener insisted any suggestion Pope is being scrutinised comes from "the media" – meaning the press – "not inside the camp."
"We all know how good of a player he is," said he. "Ollie has enjoyed a good year to be frank."
"He has played some really good knocks. It is talk from the outside. There is no discussion of that nature on Ollie in the camp," Crawley concluded.
