The English opener Zak Crawley suggested he was not familiar with comments from captain Ben Stokes about the dressing room as no place for "those lacking fortitude".
Stokes delivered those words in multiple conversations following his team's defeat in the second match of the Ashes series against the Australians earlier this month.
In the lead-up to the third Test, where the visitors now face a series loss at the earliest opportunity, the captain noted he had allowed his message to "drift around" within the playing group.
"I have completed the necessary discussions in recent days that I required," said Stokes.
However, after the opener made 85 on the penultimate day in Adelaide, he stated: "I missed those remarks."
"I wasn't actively searching for it. We take anything stated in the media with a pinch of salt," he added.
Raw Conversations and Consistent Messaging
Stokes made the "fragile individuals" observation after his side suffered a loss in the second Test to go 2-0 down.
The team afterwards went on a holiday to Noosa in the gap between the second and the upcoming matches.
Before the Adelaide contest, he revealed his players had held "honest" conversations and he had urged them to "display some fight" in their effort to remain alive in the Ashes battle.
Nevertheless, the Kent batsman stated the guidance from Stokes and coach Brendon McCullum had remained consistent with their previous tenure in charge.
"The atmosphere has been very positive, unchanged," noted Crawley. "It's on maintaining positivity, playing our brand, with lots of freedom. It felt like we could do an extraordinary feat going into this Test."
Australia Close of Historic Ashes Triumph
The opener's dismissal on day four came during a decisive three-wicket burst by Australian spinner Lyon.
Lyon's three wickets in 20 deliveries – he also bowled Harry Brook and Ben Stokes – left England 207-6 chasing a daunting target of 435 runs.
Consequently, the home team require just four more wickets on Sunday's final day to secure an insurmountable 3-0 advantage after three matches played.
Defeat would prolong England's drought in this country to 18 consecutive matches and ensure a fourth straight overseas Ashes series loss.
This series will be completed in just eleven days of cricket – with England losing the initial matches in two and four days respectively.
Not since 1921, when Australia completed a series win in the UK in eight days, has the destination of the urn been determined so quickly. The hosts have also triumphed in eleven days on two other occasions in the 21st century.
"This is disheartening," said the batsman. "We came here to win the Ashes and we're facing elimination at this point."
"There will still be plenty to play for and we'll certainly approach it like that," he continued.
"It's been difficult. Australia is a very, very good side. It was always going to be hard touring here against them. They entered as the front-runners and have demonstrated their quality."
Ollie Pope's Position Under Scrutiny
Although the opener's innings in Adelaide likely secures doubts about his short-term place in the side, Ollie Pope appears under threat for his spot in the fourth Test on Boxing Day.
Pope was out for 17 in the team's second knock on Saturday, adding to his modest returns versus Australia.
Across 16 Ashes innings, the Surrey man has never made a half-century and boasts an average of 17.62.
A solitary other English batsman in over a century – Amiss – has played an equal number of innings in the top order in the Ashes and recorded a poorer average.
However, Crawley said any notion Pope is being scrutinised originates with "the media" – referring to the press – "not inside the camp."
"We all know how good of a player he is," said he. "He has had a productive year if I'm honest."
"He has played several excellent innings. This is talk from the outside. There is no discussion of that nature on Ollie in the camp," he finished.
