The English opener Zak Crawley has indicated he had no knowledge of comments made by skipper Ben Stokes regarding the team environment as no place for "those lacking fortitude".
Stokes made those words in multiple interviews following his team's loss in the second Ashes against the Australians previously.
Ahead of the Adelaide Test, where the visitors are staring at defeat with a match to spare, the captain noted he had let his message to "drift around" within the playing group.
"I've done the necessary discussions in recent days that I needed to have done," remarked Stokes.
However, after Crawley made 85 on the penultimate day in Adelaide, he commented: "I didn't see that."
"I wasn't actively searching for it. Our approach is to take anything stated in the media with some skepticism," he added.
Frank Discussions and Steady Philosophy
Stokes issued his "fragile individuals" comment subsequent to England were beaten in Brisbane to go two matches behind.
The team afterwards took a holiday to a Queensland resort in the gap between the second and third matches.
Prior to the Adelaide contest, he revealed his team had held "honest" conversations and he had urged them to "display some fight" in their effort to stay in contention in the series.
Yet, Crawley asserted the messaging from Stokes and coach McCullum had remained consistent with their previous three years in charge.
"The atmosphere has been very positive, unchanged," said the opener. "The focus is on maintaining positivity, playing our brand, with lots of freedom. We believed we were capable of something special going into this game."
The Hosts Close of Rapid Series Victory
The opener's dismissal late on Saturday was part of a crucial three-wicket burst by Australia off-spinner Lyon.
The spinner's three wickets in a short spell – including the wickets of Harry Brook and Stokes himself – left the chasing side six down for 207 in pursuit of a notional target of 435 runs.
Consequently, Australia need just four more wickets on Sunday's final day to secure an insurmountable 3-0 lead with three matches played.
Defeat will extend the English team's drought in Australia to 18 Tests and ensure a fourth straight overseas Ashes defeat.
The current battle is set to be decided in only eleven days of cricket – with England fell the first two Tests in two and four days respectively.
Not since 1921, when the Australians sealed a series win in England in eight days, has the destination of the Ashes urn been decided so quickly. Australia have also won in eleven days on two other occasions in the 21st century.
"It's disappointing," said Crawley. "Our goal was to win the Ashes and now we are facing elimination now."
"There remains plenty to play for and we will definitely view it like that," Crawley added.
"The challenge has been difficult. They're a formidable side. It was inevitably tough touring here to face them. They were 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 immediate future in the England team, Pope appears under threat for his spot in the fourth Test starting December 26th.
The Surrey batsman fell for 17 runs in the team's second knock on Saturday, adding to his modest returns versus Australia.
In sixteen Ashes knocks, the Surrey man has never made a fifty and boasts an average of 17.62.
Only one other England player since 1900 – Amiss – has featured as many times in the top order in the Ashes and returned a lower average.
However, the opener insisted any notion Pope is being scrutinised comes from "you guys" – referring to the press – "and not within the team."
"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. This is talk from the outside. There is no discussion of that nature regarding Pope in the camp," Crawley finished.
