The English opening batter Zak Crawley suggested he was not familiar with comments made by captain Ben Stokes about the dressing room as no place for "those lacking fortitude".
Stokes made those words in several interviews following England's loss in the second match of the Ashes versus the Australians earlier this month.
Ahead of the third Test, where the visitors are staring at a series loss at the earliest opportunity, Stokes noted he had let his message to "drift around" within the playing group.
"I have completed the necessary discussions in recent days that I required," said Stokes.
However, after Crawley made a knock of 85 on the penultimate day in Adelaide, he commented: "I didn't see that."
"I wasn't actively searching for it. We take everything that is said in the media with some skepticism," he added.
Frank Discussions and Steady Philosophy
The captain made the "weak men" comment after his side were beaten in the second Test to go 2-0 down.
The England squad subsequently took a break to a Queensland resort between the second and the upcoming matches.
Before the Adelaide contest, Stokes revealed his team had held "honest" conversations and he had asked them to "show a bit of dog" in their battle to remain in contention in the series.
Yet, the Kent batsman stated the guidance from Stokes and coach McCullum had remained consistent with their previous three years in charge.
"It's been very positive, unchanged," said the opener. "The focus is on maintaining positivity, play our way, with lots of freedom. We believed we could do an extraordinary feat entering this game."
Australia Close of Rapid Series Victory
Crawley's dismissal late on Saturday came during a crucial three-wicket burst by Australia spinner Lyon.
The spinner's triple strike in 20 deliveries – including the wickets of Brook and Ben Stokes – left the chasing side 207-6 chasing a daunting target of 435 runs.
This means, Australia need just four more wickets on the last day to move to an insurmountable 3-0 advantage with three matches played.
A loss will extend England's drought in this country to 18 Tests and ensure a fourth straight overseas Ashes defeat.
The current battle is set to be decided in just eleven days of cricket – after England fell the first two Tests in rapid time each.
The last time 1921, when Australia completed victory in the UK in eight days, has the destination of the Ashes urn been determined so quickly. Australia have also won in eleven days on two other occasions in the 21st century.
"It's disheartening," admitted Crawley. "Our goal was to regain the Ashes and now we are facing elimination now."
"There will still be significant pride at stake and we will certainly approach it with that mindset," he continued.
"The challenge has been tough. Australia is a very, very good side. It was always going to be tough coming here to face them. They were the front-runners coming in to it they've proven why."
Ollie Pope's Position Under Scrutiny
Although the opener's innings in Adelaide likely secures questions about his short-term place in the England team, Pope appears under immense pressure for his position in the Melbourne Test starting December 26th.
The Surrey batsman fell for 17 runs in the team's second knock on day four, adding to his modest returns against the old enemy.
In 16 Ashes innings, Pope has failed to score a fifty and boasts an average of just 17.62.
A solitary other English batsman since 1900 – Dennis Amiss – has played an equal number of innings in the top six in Ashes Tests and returned a lower average.
However, the opener insisted any suggestion his teammate is being scrutinised comes from "you guys" – referring to the journalists – "not inside the camp."
"We all know of his considerable talent," said he. "Ollie has enjoyed a productive year to be frank."
"He has produced some really good knocks. It is noise from the outside. There's no chat like that on Ollie in the camp," Crawley finished.
