England opener Zak Crawley has indicated he was not familiar with comments from skipper Ben Stokes about the team environment not being "weak men".
Stokes made those words in several interviews in the wake of his team's loss in the second Ashes against the Australians earlier this month.
In the lead-up to the third Test, where the visitors are staring at defeat with a match to spare, Stokes noted he had allowed his message to "drift around" within the playing group.
"I have completed all the talking in recent days that I needed to have done," remarked the England leader.
However, after Crawley made a knock of 85 on the fourth day in the third Test, he commented: "I missed those remarks."
"I wasn't actively searching for it. We take anything stated in the media with some skepticism," he added.
Raw Conversations and Consistent Messaging
The captain issued his "fragile individuals" observation subsequent to England were beaten in Brisbane to go two matches behind.
The England squad afterwards took a holiday to Noosa between the second and third Tests.
Prior to the Adelaide contest, Stokes revealed his team had held "honest" conversations and he had asked them to "show a bit of dog" in their effort to stay alive in the series.
Yet, Crawley stated the guidance from Stokes and head coach Brendon McCullum had stayed consistent with their previous tenure in leadership.
"It's been extremely upbeat, unchanged," said the opener. "It's just trying to be optimistic, play our way, with lots of freedom. We believed we were capable of an extraordinary feat going into this game."
Australia On the Verge of Historic Ashes Triumph
The opener's wicket late on Saturday came during a decisive triple-strike by Australia spinner Nathan Lyon.
The spinner's triple strike in 20 deliveries – including the wickets of Brook and Stokes himself – meant the chasing side 207-6 chasing a daunting target of 435.
This means, the home team need just four more wickets on the final day to move to an insurmountable three-nil advantage with three Tests.
A loss would prolong the English team's drought in Australia to 18 Tests and condemn them to a fourth straight away Ashes loss.
The current battle is set to be decided in just eleven days of play – with England fell the initial matches in two and four days each.
Not since 1921, when the Australians completed victory in England in eight days, has the outcome of the urn been determined so quickly. The hosts have also triumphed in 11 days on two other occasions in the modern era.
"It's disheartening," said the batsman. "We came here to regain the Ashes and now we are staring down the barrel at this point."
"There remains significant pride at stake and we will definitely view it like that," Crawley added.
"It's been difficult. Australia is a formidable side. It was inevitably hard touring here to face them. They entered as the front-runners coming in to it they've proven why."
Ollie Pope's Position Under Scrutiny
Although the opener's performance in the third Test likely secures questions about his immediate future in the side, Pope appears under immense pressure for his position in the fourth Test on Boxing Day.
Pope fell for 17 runs in the team's second innings on day four, extending his poor record versus Australia.
In 16 Ashes innings, the Surrey man has never made a half-century and boasts an average of 17.62.
Only one other English batsman since 1900 – Amiss – has featured as many times in the top order in Ashes Tests and returned a lower average.
However, Crawley said any suggestion his teammate is under the microscope comes from "you guys" – referring to the press – "and not within the team."
"We all know of his considerable talent," added Crawley. "He has had a productive year to be frank."
"He has played several excellent innings. This is noise from the outside. There is no discussion like that on Ollie in the camp," Crawley finished.
