The English opening batter Zak Crawley has indicated he was not familiar with statements made by skipper Ben Stokes regarding the dressing room not being "weak men".
The all-rounder made those words in several interviews following his team's loss in the second Ashes series versus the Australians previously.
In the lead-up to the third Test, where the visitors are staring at defeat with a match to spare, Stokes noted he had let his message to "circulate freely" within the squad.
"I have completed all the talking in recent days that I required," remarked the England leader.
However, after the opener made 85 on the penultimate day in the third Test, he commented: "I didn't see that."
"I didn't see and wasn't really looking out for it. Our approach is to take anything stated in the press with some skepticism," Crawley continued.
Frank Discussions and Steady Philosophy
The captain made the "fragile individuals" comment subsequent to England were beaten in the second Test to go 2-0 down.
The England squad afterwards took a holiday to Noosa in the gap between the second and third Tests.
Prior to this match, Stokes said his players had held "honest" conversations and he had asked them to "display some fight" in their battle to remain alive in the Ashes battle.
Nevertheless, the Kent batsman asserted the messaging from the captain and coach Brendon McCullum had remained consistent with their prior three years in leadership.
"The atmosphere has been extremely upbeat, unchanged," said the opener. "It's just trying to be optimistic, playing our brand, with lots of freedom. We believed we were capable of an extraordinary feat going into this Test."
The Hosts On the Verge of Historic Series Victory
Crawley's wicket late on Saturday was part of a decisive triple-strike by Australian spinner Nathan Lyon.
The spinner's triple strike in 20 deliveries – he also bowled Harry Brook and Ben Stokes – meant the chasing side six down for 207 in pursuit of a daunting total of 435 runs.
Consequently, the home team require just four more wickets on the final day to secure an unassailable 3-0 advantage after three Tests.
Defeat would prolong England's winless run in this country to 18 Tests and ensure a fourth successive away Ashes series defeat.
The current battle will be completed in just eleven days of play – after England losing the initial matches in two and four days each.
The last time 1921, when the Australians completed victory in England in eight days, has the outcome of the Ashes urn been decided so quickly. The hosts have also won in 11 days on two other occasions in the 21st century.
"This is disappointing," said the batsman. "Our goal was to win the Ashes and now we are staring down the barrel at this point."
"There will still be plenty to play for and we will definitely view it like that," he continued.
"The challenge has been tough. Australia is a very, very good team. It was inevitably hard touring here against them. They were the front-runners and have demonstrated their quality."
Ollie Pope's Position Under Scrutiny
Although Crawley's innings in the third Test probably answers doubts about his short-term future in the side, Ollie Pope appears under immense pressure for his spot in the fourth Test starting December 26th.
Pope was out for 17 in the team's second innings on Saturday, adding to his modest returns against the old enemy.
Across sixteen Ashes knocks, Pope has failed to score a fifty and averages just 17.62.
A solitary other England player in over a century – Dennis Amiss – has featured an equal number of innings in the top six in the Ashes and recorded a poorer average.
But, Crawley insisted any notion his teammate is being scrutinised originates with "the media" – referring to the journalists – "and not within the team."
"We all know how good of a player he is," added Crawley. "He has had a productive year to be frank."
"He has played several excellent innings. It is talk from the outside. There is no chat of that nature regarding Pope in the camp," he finished.
