The English opener Zak Crawley suggested he had no knowledge of statements made by skipper Ben Stokes regarding the team environment as no place for "weak men".
The all-rounder delivered those words in several interviews in the wake of his team's loss in the second match of the Ashes versus Australia previously.
Ahead of 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 "drift around" within the squad.
"I have completed the necessary discussions over the past two days that I needed to have done," said Stokes.
But, following the opener made a knock of 85 on the fourth day in Adelaide, he stated: "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 media with a pinch of salt," Crawley continued.
Frank Discussions and Consistent Messaging
The captain made the "fragile individuals" comment subsequent to his side suffered a loss in the second Test to go 2-0 down.
The England squad subsequently took a holiday to Noosa between the second and third matches.
Prior to this match, Stokes revealed his players had held "raw" talks and he had urged them to "display some fight" in their effort to stay in contention in the Ashes battle.
Nevertheless, the Kent batsman asserted the messaging from Stokes and head coach Brendon McCullum had stayed consistent with their previous tenure in charge.
"It's been very positive, unchanged," said the opener. "It's on maintaining positivity, play our way, with great liberty. We believed we were capable of something special going into this game."
Australia Close of Rapid Ashes Triumph
Crawley's dismissal on day four came during a decisive three-wicket burst by Australian off-spinner Lyon.
Lyon's three wickets in 20 deliveries – he also bowled Harry Brook and Stokes himself – meant England 207-6 in pursuit of a daunting target of 435 runs.
Consequently, Australia need four wickets on the final day to move to an unassailable 3-0 advantage after three Tests.
Defeat will extend the English team's drought in this country to 18 Tests and condemn them to a fourth successive overseas Ashes defeat.
This series is set to be decided in only eleven days of play – after England fell the initial matches in rapid time each.
The last time 1921, when the Australians sealed victory in England in eight days, has the destination of the Ashes urn been determined more swiftly. The hosts have also triumphed in 11 days on two other occasions in the 21st century.
"This is disheartening," admitted Crawley. "We came here to regain the Ashes and now we are facing elimination now."
"There remains significant pride at stake and we will definitely view it like that," Crawley added.
"It's been tough. Australia is a very, very good team. It was inevitably tough touring here to face them. They entered as the front-runners coming in to it have demonstrated their quality."
Pope's Position Under Scrutiny
Although Crawley's performance in Adelaide probably answers doubts about his short-term place in the side, Ollie Pope appears under threat for his spot in the fourth Test on Boxing Day.
The Surrey batsman was out for 17 in the team's second innings on day four, extending his poor record versus the old enemy.
In sixteen Ashes knocks, the Surrey man has failed to score a half-century 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 Ashes Tests and recorded a lower average.
However, Crawley said any suggestion Pope is being scrutinised comes from "you guys" – referring to the journalists – "and not within the team."
"The squad is fully aware how good of a player he is," added he. "Ollie has enjoyed a productive year if I'm honest."
"He has played several excellent innings. This is noise externally. There's no chat like that regarding Pope in the camp," Crawley concluded.
