England opening batter Zak Crawley has indicated he had no knowledge of statements from skipper Ben Stokes regarding the dressing room not being "those lacking fortitude".
Stokes delivered those words in several interviews in the wake of his team's defeat in the second match of the Ashes versus Australia previously.
Ahead of the Adelaide Test, where the visitors now face defeat with a match to spare, Stokes noted he had let his sentiment to "circulate freely" among the squad.
"I have completed all the talking over the past two days that I needed to have done," remarked the England leader.
But, following the opener scored 85 on the fourth 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 a pinch of salt," he added.
Raw Conversations and Consistent Messaging
The captain made the "weak men" observation after England 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 the upcoming matches.
Before this match, he said his team had held "raw" conversations and he had asked them to "show a bit of dog" in their battle to stay alive in the Ashes battle.
Nevertheless, Crawley asserted the messaging from Stokes and head coach Brendon McCullum had stayed consistent with their previous tenure in charge.
"It's been extremely upbeat, unchanged," noted Crawley. "The focus is just trying to be optimistic, playing our brand, with great liberty. We believed we could do an extraordinary feat going into this game."
The Hosts On the Verge of Rapid Series Victory
Crawley's wicket late on Saturday came during a crucial three-wicket burst by Australia spinner Lyon.
The spinner's three wickets in 20 deliveries – he also bowled Brook and Ben Stokes – meant the chasing side six down for 207 in pursuit of a notional target of 435 runs.
Consequently, Australia require four wickets on Sunday's final day to move to an insurmountable three-nil lead after three matches played.
A loss would prolong the English team's drought in this country to 18 Tests and condemn them to a fourth successive overseas Ashes defeat.
The current battle is set to be decided in only 11 days of cricket – with England losing the initial matches in two and four days each.
Not since 1921, when the Australians sealed a series win in England in eight days, has the outcome of the Ashes urn been decided so quickly. Australia have also triumphed in 11 days on two other occasions in the modern era.
"It's disappointing," said the batsman. "We came here to win the Ashes and now we are facing elimination at this point."
"There remains significant pride at stake and we will definitely view it like that," he continued.
"The challenge has been tough. They're a formidable team. It was inevitably hard coming here against them. They were the favourites coming in to it they've proven why."
Pope's Place In Question
Although the opener's performance in the third Test probably answers questions about his short-term future in the side, Pope looks under immense pressure for his position in the Melbourne Test starting December 26th.
The Surrey batsman was out for 17 runs in the team's second innings on Saturday, adding to his modest returns versus Australia.
Across sixteen Ashes knocks, the Surrey man has never made a half-century and averages 17.62.
Only one other English batsman since 1900 – Amiss – has featured an equal number of innings in the top order in the Ashes and recorded a poorer average.
But, Crawley said any suggestion Pope is under the microscope comes from "you guys" – meaning the press – "and not within the team."
"We all know of his considerable talent," added he. "Ollie has enjoyed a productive year if I'm honest."
"He has produced several excellent innings. This is noise from the outside. There's no chat like that regarding Pope in the camp," he concluded.
