The English opener Zak Crawley suggested he had no knowledge of comments made by captain Ben Stokes regarding the dressing room not being "weak men".
Stokes made this message in multiple interviews following his team's loss in the second Ashes versus the Australians previously.
Ahead of the Adelaide Test, where England are staring at defeat with a match to spare, Stokes stated he had allowed his sentiment to "circulate freely" within the squad.
"I've done all the talking over the past two days that I required," said the England leader.
However, after Crawley scored 85 on the penultimate day in Adelaide, 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 press with some skepticism," Crawley continued.
Frank Discussions and Steady Philosophy
The captain issued his "fragile individuals" comment subsequent to his side were beaten in the second Test to fall two matches behind.
The team afterwards took a break to a Queensland resort between the second and third Tests.
Before the Adelaide contest, he said his players had held "honest" conversations and he had urged them to "show a bit of dog" in their battle to stay in contention in the Ashes battle.
Nevertheless, the Kent batsman asserted the messaging from the captain and head coach McCullum had stayed in line with their previous tenure in charge.
"The atmosphere has been extremely upbeat, the same as always," said Crawley. "It's on maintaining positivity, playing our brand, with great liberty. It felt like we could do an extraordinary feat entering this Test."
The Hosts On the Verge of Historic Series Victory
The opener's wicket on day four was part of a crucial three-wicket burst by Australia spinner Nathan Lyon.
Lyon's triple strike in a short spell – he also bowled Brook and Ben Stokes – left England six down for 207 chasing a daunting total of 435 runs.
This means, the home team need just four more wickets on Sunday's final day to secure an unassailable 3-0 lead after three matches played.
A loss would prolong England's winless run in Australia to 18 Tests and ensure a fourth successive away Ashes series defeat.
The current battle is set to be decided in only eleven days of play – after England fell the initial matches in two and four days each.
The last time 1921, when the Australians sealed victory in England 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 modern era.
"This is disheartening," admitted Crawley. "Our goal was to win the Ashes and we're staring down the barrel now."
"There will still be plenty to play for and we will certainly approach it like that," he continued.
"The challenge has been difficult. Australia is a very, very good team. It was inevitably hard coming here against them. They entered as the front-runners coming in to it they've proven why."
Ollie Pope's Position In Question
While the opener's performance in the third Test probably answers doubts about his immediate future in the side, Pope looks under threat for his spot in the Melbourne Test starting December 26th.
Pope was out for 17 in England's second innings on day four, extending his poor record versus Australia.
In 16 Ashes innings, the Surrey man has never made a half-century and averages 17.62.
A solitary other English batsman since 1900 – Amiss – has featured an equal number of innings in the top six in Ashes Tests and recorded a lower average.
But, the opener said any notion his teammate is under the microscope originates with "the media" – meaning the press – "and not within the team."
"The squad is fully aware how good of a player he is," added he. "He has had a productive year if I'm honest."
"He has played several excellent innings. It is talk from the outside. There is no chat like that on Ollie in the camp," Crawley finished.
