England opener Zak Crawley suggested he had no knowledge of comments made by skipper Ben Stokes about the dressing room as no place for "weak men".
Stokes made those words in multiple conversations in the wake of England's loss in the second Ashes against Australia earlier this month.
In the lead-up to the third Test, where England now face a series loss at the earliest opportunity, Stokes stated he had allowed his message to "circulate freely" among the squad.
"I have completed the necessary discussions over the past two days that I required," said Stokes.
But, following Crawley made 85 on the penultimate day in the third Test, he stated: "I didn't see that."
"I didn't see and wasn't really looking out for it. Our approach is to take everything that is said in the media with a pinch of salt," he added.
Raw Conversations and Consistent Messaging
Stokes made the "fragile individuals" observation after his side were beaten in Brisbane to fall two matches behind.
The team subsequently took a break to a Queensland resort in the gap between the second and third Tests.
Prior to the Adelaide contest, he revealed his team had held "raw" talks and he had asked them to "show a bit of dog" in their battle to remain alive in the series.
Nevertheless, Crawley stated the guidance from Stokes and head coach McCullum had stayed in line with their prior tenure in charge.
"The atmosphere has been extremely upbeat, unchanged," noted Crawley. "The focus is just trying to be optimistic, play our way, with lots of freedom. We believed we could do an extraordinary feat entering this game."
The Hosts On the Verge of Historic Ashes Triumph
The opener's wicket on day four was part of a decisive triple-strike by Australia spinner Lyon.
The spinner's triple strike in 20 deliveries – he also bowled Brook and Ben Stokes – meant the chasing side 207-6 in pursuit of a daunting target of 435 runs.
Consequently, Australia require just four more wickets on Sunday's final day to secure an unassailable 3-0 lead with three Tests.
Defeat will extend England's drought in this country to 18 Tests and ensure a fourth straight away Ashes series defeat.
This series will be completed in only 11 days of play – after England losing the initial matches in rapid time respectively.
Not since 1921, when the Australians sealed victory in England in eight days, has the destination of the Ashes urn been determined so quickly. The hosts have also triumphed in eleven days on two other instances in the modern era.
"This is disappointing," admitted Crawley. "We came here to win the Ashes and now we are staring down the barrel now."
"There remains significant pride at stake and we will definitely view it like that," he continued.
"The challenge has been tough. Australia is a very, very good team. It was inevitably tough touring here against them. They entered as the front-runners coming in to it they've proven why."
Ollie Pope's Position In Question
Although Crawley's performance in the third Test likely secures doubts about his immediate future in the side, Ollie Pope looks under threat for his spot in the fourth Test on Boxing Day.
Pope was out for 17 runs in the team's second innings on Saturday, extending his modest returns versus the old enemy.
In sixteen Ashes knocks, the Surrey man has failed to score a half-century and boasts an average of just 17.62.
A solitary other English batsman in over a century – Amiss – has played an equal number of innings in the top six in the Ashes and recorded a lower average.
However, the opener said any notion his teammate is under the microscope comes from "you guys" – referring to the journalists – "not inside the camp."
"We all know how good of a player he is," said Crawley. "He has had a good year if I'm honest."
"He has played some really good knocks. It is talk externally. There is no discussion of that nature regarding Pope amongst the players," Crawley concluded.
