England opener Zak Crawley suggested he had no knowledge of statements made by captain Ben Stokes about the team environment not being "weak men".
Stokes made those words in several interviews in the wake of England's loss in the second Ashes series versus the Australians previously.
Ahead of the Adelaide Test, where the visitors are staring at a series loss at the earliest opportunity, the captain stated he had let his message to "drift around" among the squad.
"I've done the necessary discussions over the past two days that I needed to have done," said Stokes.
However, after Crawley made 85 on the penultimate day in Adelaide, he stated: "I missed those remarks."
"I didn't see and wasn't really looking out for it. Our approach is to take anything stated in the media with a pinch of salt," he added.
Raw Conversations and Steady Philosophy
The captain made the "fragile individuals" comment after England were beaten in Brisbane to go 2-0 down.
The team subsequently went on a holiday to Noosa in the gap between the second and the upcoming Tests.
Before this match, he revealed his team had held "honest" talks and he had urged them to "display some fight" in their effort to remain alive in the Ashes battle.
Nevertheless, Crawley asserted the messaging from Stokes and coach McCullum had stayed in line with their previous three years in leadership.
"It's been very positive, the same as always," noted the opener. "The focus is on maintaining positivity, play our way, with lots of freedom. It felt like we could do something special entering this Test."
Australia On the Verge of Historic Series Victory
The opener's wicket late on Saturday was part of a decisive three-wicket burst by Australian off-spinner Lyon.
The spinner's three wickets in 20 deliveries – he also bowled Brook and Ben Stokes – left the chasing side 207-6 in pursuit of a daunting total of 435 runs.
Consequently, the home team need just four more wickets on Sunday's last day to move to an unassailable 3-0 advantage with three matches played.
A loss will extend England's drought in Australia to 18 Tests and ensure a fourth successive away Ashes series defeat.
The current battle is set to be decided in just 11 days of play – with England fell the first two Tests in two and four days respectively.
Not since 1921, when the Australians completed victory in England in eight days, has the outcome of the urn been decided more swiftly. The hosts have also won in 11 days on two other instances in the 21st century.
"This is disheartening," admitted Crawley. "We came here to win the Ashes and we're staring down the barrel now."
"There will still be significant pride at stake and we will definitely view it like that," Crawley added.
"It's been difficult. Australia is a formidable team. It was inevitably tough touring here against them. They were the favourites and they've proven why."
Ollie Pope's Place Under Scrutiny
While the opener's performance in the third Test likely secures questions about his short-term future in the side, Ollie Pope appears under threat for his spot in the Melbourne Test on Boxing Day.
Pope fell for 17 runs in England's second innings on Saturday, extending his poor record against Australia.
Across 16 Ashes innings, Pope has never made a half-century and boasts an average of 17.62.
A solitary other English batsman in over a century – Dennis Amiss – has featured an equal number of innings in the top six in Ashes Tests and recorded a lower average.
However, the opener insisted any suggestion Pope is under the microscope comes from "you guys" – referring to the journalists – "and not within the team."
"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 played some really good knocks. This is talk externally. There is no discussion like that on Ollie in the camp," he concluded.
