The English opening batter Zak Crawley suggested he had no knowledge of comments from skipper Ben Stokes about the team environment not being "those lacking fortitude".
The all-rounder made those words in multiple conversations in the wake of his team's loss in the second match of the Ashes versus the Australians previously.
In the lead-up to the Adelaide Test, where England are staring at defeat at the earliest opportunity, the captain noted he had let his sentiment to "drift around" within the playing group.
"I've done the necessary discussions over the past two days that I needed to have done," said the England leader.
However, following Crawley made 85 on the fourth day in Adelaide, he commented: "I missed those remarks."
"I wasn't actively searching for it. We take anything stated in the press with a pinch of salt," Crawley continued.
Raw Conversations and Consistent Messaging
The captain issued his "fragile individuals" comment after England suffered a loss in the second Test to go 2-0 down.
The England squad subsequently went on a break to Noosa between the second and third matches.
Prior to this match, he revealed his players had held "raw" talks and he had asked them to "display some fight" in their battle to remain alive in the series.
Nevertheless, the Kent batsman stated the messaging from the captain and head coach Brendon McCullum had stayed consistent with their prior tenure in charge.
"It's been extremely upbeat, the same as always," said Crawley. "It's on maintaining positivity, play our way, with great liberty. We believed we were capable of something special entering this Test."
Australia On the Verge of Historic Series Victory
The opener's dismissal on day four came during a crucial triple-strike by Australia off-spinner Nathan Lyon.
Lyon's three wickets in a short spell – including the wickets of Brook and Ben Stokes – left England 207-6 in pursuit of a notional target of 435 runs.
This means, the home team require four wickets on the final day to move to an insurmountable three-nil advantage after three Tests.
Defeat will extend the English team's winless run in this country to 18 consecutive matches and ensure a fourth successive overseas Ashes series defeat.
This series is set to be decided in just eleven days of play – after England fell the initial matches in rapid time each.
The last time 1921, when Australia completed a series win in England in eight days, has the destination of the urn been determined more swiftly. Australia have also triumphed in 11 days on two other instances in the modern era.
"It's disappointing," said Crawley. "Our goal was to win the Ashes and we're facing elimination now."
"There remains plenty to play for and we'll certainly approach it with that mindset," Crawley added.
"The challenge has been difficult. They're 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 Place In Question
Although Crawley's performance in Adelaide likely secures doubts about his short-term place in the England team, Pope looks under threat for his position in the Melbourne Test on Boxing Day.
Pope fell for 17 runs in the team's second knock on day four, extending his poor record versus the old enemy.
Across sixteen Ashes knocks, the Surrey man has failed to score a fifty and averages 17.62.
A solitary other English batsman since 1900 – Dennis Amiss – has played an equal number of innings in the top six in the Ashes and returned a lower average.
But, the opener said any suggestion Pope is under the microscope comes from "the media" – meaning the press – "not inside the camp."
"We all know of his considerable talent," added he. "He has had a good year to be frank."
"He has produced several excellent innings. It is talk externally. There is no chat of that nature regarding Pope in the camp," he finished.
