England opener Zak Crawley has indicated he was not familiar with statements from skipper Ben Stokes about the dressing room not being "those lacking fortitude".
The all-rounder delivered this message in multiple conversations following his team's loss in the second Ashes versus the Australians earlier this month.
In the lead-up to the Adelaide Test, where England are staring at defeat at the earliest opportunity, the captain stated he had let his sentiment to "drift around" within the playing group.
"I have completed all the talking over the past two days that I needed to have done," remarked the England leader.
But, after the opener scored a knock of 85 on the penultimate day in Adelaide, he stated: "I missed those remarks."
"I didn't see and wasn't really looking out for it. We take everything that is said in the media with some skepticism," he added.
Frank Discussions and Steady Philosophy
Stokes issued his "weak men" comment subsequent to England were beaten in Brisbane to fall two matches behind.
The team subsequently went on a holiday to a Queensland resort in the gap between the second and the upcoming Tests.
Before the Adelaide contest, Stokes said his players had held "honest" conversations and he had asked them to "display some fight" in their effort to remain alive in the Ashes battle.
Yet, the Kent batsman stated the guidance from the captain and coach Brendon McCullum had remained consistent with their previous three years in leadership.
"The atmosphere has been very positive, unchanged," said Crawley. "The focus is just trying to be optimistic, playing our brand, with lots of freedom. We believed we were capable of an extraordinary feat going into this game."
The Hosts Close of Rapid Series Victory
The opener's dismissal late on Saturday came during a decisive three-wicket burst by Australian spinner Nathan Lyon.
Lyon's three wickets in 20 deliveries – including the wickets of Brook and Ben Stokes – meant England six down for 207 in pursuit of a notional total of 435.
This means, the home team require four wickets on the last day to move to an insurmountable three-nil lead after three Tests.
A loss would prolong England's drought in Australia to 18 consecutive matches and ensure a fourth straight away Ashes loss.
The current battle will be completed in only eleven days of cricket – with England losing the initial matches in two and four days respectively.
The last time 1921, when the Australians completed victory in the UK in eight days, has the destination of the urn been decided more swiftly. Australia have also triumphed in eleven days on two other occasions in the 21st century.
"It's disappointing," admitted Crawley. "We came here to win the Ashes and now we are staring down the barrel at this point."
"There will still be significant pride at stake and we'll certainly approach it like that," Crawley added.
"It's been tough. Australia is a very, very good side. It was inevitably tough coming here against them. They entered as the favourites coming in to it they've proven why."
Ollie Pope's Position In Question
Although Crawley's innings in the third Test probably answers doubts about his short-term future in the England team, Pope looks under threat for his spot in the Melbourne Test on Boxing Day.
Pope fell for 17 in England's second knock on day four, adding to his modest returns versus Australia.
Across 16 Ashes innings, Pope has failed to score a fifty and boasts an average of just 17.62.
A solitary other English batsman in over a century – Amiss – has featured an equal number of innings in the top six in Ashes Tests and returned a lower average.
But, Crawley insisted any notion Pope is under the microscope comes from "the media" – referring to the press – "not inside the camp."
"We all know of his considerable talent," said Crawley. "Ollie has enjoyed a good year if I'm honest."
"He has played some really good knocks. It is noise externally. There is no discussion like that regarding Pope in the camp," he concluded.
