England opening batter Zak Crawley has indicated he was not familiar with statements from skipper Ben Stokes about the dressing room not being "weak men".
Stokes made those words in multiple interviews in the wake of his team's defeat in the second Ashes series against Australia previously.
In the lead-up to the Adelaide Test, where the visitors are staring at defeat at the earliest opportunity, Stokes stated he had let his sentiment to "drift around" within the squad.
"I've done all the talking over the past two days that I required," remarked Stokes.
But, following the opener scored a knock of 85 on the penultimate day in the third Test, he stated: "I missed those remarks."
"I wasn't actively searching for it. Our approach is to take everything that is said in the media with some skepticism," he added.
Frank Discussions and Steady Philosophy
Stokes issued his "fragile individuals" observation subsequent to his side were beaten in Brisbane to fall two matches behind.
The England squad subsequently took a break to a Queensland resort in the gap between the second and third Tests.
Before this match, he said his team had held "raw" talks and he had urged them to "show a bit of dog" in their effort to remain alive in the Ashes battle.
Yet, Crawley asserted the guidance from the captain and coach McCullum had remained consistent with their previous tenure in leadership.
"It's been very positive, the same as always," noted the opener. "It's on maintaining positivity, playing our brand, with great liberty. It felt like we could do something special entering this game."
Australia On the Verge of Historic Series Victory
Crawley's wicket late on Saturday was part of a decisive three-wicket burst by Australian off-spinner Lyon.
Lyon's three wickets in 20 deliveries – he also bowled Harry Brook and Stokes himself – left the chasing side six down for 207 chasing a daunting target of 435 runs.
Consequently, the home team need four wickets on the final day to move to an unassailable three-nil lead after three matches played.
A loss would prolong England's winless run in this country to 18 Tests and condemn them to a fourth successive away Ashes series loss.
The current battle will be completed in only 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 the UK in eight days, has the outcome of the Ashes urn been decided so quickly. The hosts have also won in eleven days on two other occasions in the modern era.
"It's disheartening," said Crawley. "Our goal was to win the Ashes and now we are staring down the barrel at this point."
"There will still be significant pride at stake and we will definitely view it like that," he continued.
"It's been tough. They're a very, very good side. It was inevitably tough touring here to face them. They were the favourites and have demonstrated their quality."
Pope's Place Under Scrutiny
While Crawley's performance in Adelaide probably answers questions about his short-term future in the England team, Pope looks under immense pressure for his position in the Melbourne Test starting December 26th.
The Surrey batsman fell for 17 runs in the team's second knock on Saturday, adding to his poor record versus Australia.
Across sixteen Ashes knocks, the Surrey man has failed to score a half-century and boasts an average of 17.62.
A solitary other English batsman in over a century – Amiss – has played as many times in the top six in Ashes Tests and returned a lower average.
But, Crawley insisted any suggestion Pope is being scrutinised comes from "the media" – meaning the journalists – "not inside the camp."
"We all know of his considerable talent," 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's no chat like that on Ollie in the camp," Crawley concluded.
