The English opener Zak Crawley suggested he was not familiar with comments from skipper Ben Stokes regarding the team environment as no place for "weak men".
The all-rounder made this message in multiple interviews following England's defeat in the second Ashes series versus the Australians previously.
In the lead-up to the third Test, where England are staring at a series loss with a match to spare, the captain noted he had allowed his message to "circulate freely" among the playing group.
"I have completed all the talking over the past two days that I needed to have done," said the England leader.
But, after Crawley made a knock of 85 on the penultimate day in the third Test, he stated: "I didn't see that."
"I didn't see and wasn't really looking out for it. We take anything stated in the media with a pinch of salt," Crawley continued.
Frank Discussions and Steady Philosophy
Stokes made the "fragile individuals" observation after England suffered a loss in Brisbane to go two matches behind.
The England squad afterwards took a break to a Queensland resort between the second and third Tests.
Before the Adelaide contest, Stokes said his team had held "honest" talks and he had asked them to "show a bit of dog" in their battle to stay alive in the series.
Yet, Crawley stated the guidance from Stokes and coach Brendon McCullum had stayed in line with their prior three years in leadership.
"The atmosphere has been extremely upbeat, unchanged," noted Crawley. "It's on maintaining positivity, playing our brand, with great liberty. We believed we could do an extraordinary feat entering this game."
The Hosts On the Verge of Rapid Series Victory
Crawley's dismissal on day four was part of a decisive triple-strike by Australia off-spinner Lyon.
The spinner's triple strike in 20 deliveries – he also bowled Brook and Ben Stokes – left England 207-6 chasing a notional total of 435 runs.
This means, Australia require four wickets on the last day to move to an insurmountable three-nil advantage with three Tests.
Defeat would prolong England's drought in Australia to 18 Tests and ensure a fourth straight away Ashes defeat.
This series will be completed in just 11 days of cricket – with England fell the first two Tests in two and four days each.
The last time 1921, when Australia completed a series win in the UK in eight days, has the destination of the urn been decided more swiftly. Australia have also won in 11 days on two other instances in the modern era.
"It's disappointing," admitted the batsman. "We came here to regain the Ashes and now we are staring down the barrel now."
"There remains significant pride at stake and we'll certainly approach it like that," Crawley added.
"The challenge has been difficult. They're a formidable side. It was inevitably hard coming here to face them. They were the front-runners and have demonstrated their quality."
Ollie Pope's Place In Question
While Crawley's performance in Adelaide likely secures questions about his short-term place in the side, Ollie Pope looks under threat for his spot in the fourth Test on Boxing Day.
Pope was out for 17 runs in the team's second innings on day four, extending his modest returns versus Australia.
In 16 Ashes innings, Pope has never made a fifty and boasts an average of just 17.62.
Only one other English batsman in over a century – Dennis Amiss – has featured an equal number of innings in the top six in Ashes Tests and returned a poorer average.
However, the opener insisted any notion Pope is under the microscope comes from "the media" – referring to the journalists – "not inside the camp."
"We all know of his considerable talent," added Crawley. "He has had a good year to be frank."
"He has played some really good knocks. This is noise from the outside. There's no discussion like that on Ollie in the camp," he finished.
