The English opening batter Zak Crawley suggested he had no knowledge of statements from skipper Ben Stokes about the dressing room not being "weak men".
Stokes made this message in several conversations in the wake of his team's defeat in the second match of the Ashes against the Australians previously.
Ahead of the third Test, where England are staring at a series loss with a match to spare, Stokes stated he had allowed his sentiment to "drift around" among the playing group.
"I've done the necessary discussions in recent days that I needed to have done," said Stokes.
But, following Crawley scored 85 on the fourth day in Adelaide, he commented: "I missed those remarks."
"I didn't see and wasn't really looking out for it. We take anything stated in the media with a pinch of salt," Crawley continued.
Raw Conversations and Steady Philosophy
Stokes made the "fragile individuals" observation subsequent to England suffered a loss in Brisbane to fall 2-0 down.
The team subsequently went on a break to Noosa between the second and the upcoming Tests.
Before the Adelaide contest, Stokes said his players had held "honest" talks and he had asked them to "display some fight" in their battle to remain alive in the Ashes battle.
Nevertheless, Crawley asserted the messaging from the captain and head coach McCullum had stayed consistent with their previous three years in charge.
"The atmosphere has been very positive, the same as always," noted the opener. "It's just trying to be optimistic, playing our brand, with lots of freedom. We believed we could do something special entering this game."
Australia On the Verge of Rapid Series Victory
The opener's dismissal on day four came during a crucial three-wicket burst by Australian spinner Nathan Lyon.
Lyon's three wickets in a short spell – he also bowled Harry Brook and Stokes himself – left England 207-6 chasing a daunting target of 435 runs.
Consequently, Australia need four wickets on Sunday's last day to secure an unassailable 3-0 lead after three Tests.
Defeat will extend England's winless run in Australia to 18 Tests and condemn them to a fourth straight away Ashes loss.
This series is set to be decided in only eleven days of play – after England fell the initial matches in two and four days respectively.
The last time 1921, when the Australians completed victory in England in eight days, has the outcome of the urn been determined more swiftly. The hosts have also won in eleven days on two other instances in the 21st century.
"It's disappointing," admitted Crawley. "We came here to regain the Ashes and we're staring down the barrel now."
"There will still be plenty to play for and we'll definitely view it like that," he continued.
"The challenge has been difficult. They're a formidable side. It was always going to be tough touring here to face them. They entered as the front-runners and they've proven why."
Ollie Pope's Place In Question
Although the opener's performance in Adelaide likely secures doubts about his immediate future in the England team, Pope appears under immense pressure for his spot in the Melbourne Test starting December 26th.
Pope fell for 17 runs in England's second innings on Saturday, adding to his modest returns against the old enemy.
In sixteen Ashes knocks, the Surrey man has failed to score a fifty and averages 17.62.
A solitary other England player since 1900 – Dennis Amiss – has played as many times in the top six in the Ashes and returned a lower average.
However, Crawley said any suggestion his teammate is being scrutinised comes from "the media" – meaning the press – "not inside the camp."
"The squad is fully aware how good of a player he is," added Crawley. "He has had a good year if I'm honest."
"He has produced several excellent innings. It is noise externally. There's no chat like that on Ollie amongst the players," Crawley finished.
