The English opening batter Zak Crawley suggested he had no knowledge of comments made by captain Ben Stokes about the dressing room not being "weak men".
The all-rounder delivered this message in several interviews in the wake of his team's defeat in the second match of the Ashes against the Australians previously.
Ahead of the Adelaide Test, where England are staring at a series loss at the earliest opportunity, the captain stated he had allowed his message to "circulate freely" within the squad.
"I have completed the necessary discussions over the past two days that I needed to have done," remarked Stokes.
But, after the opener made a knock of 85 on the fourth day in the third Test, he stated: "I didn't see that."
"I wasn't actively searching for it. Our approach is to take anything stated in the media with some skepticism," he added.
Raw Conversations and Consistent Messaging
Stokes issued his "fragile individuals" comment after his side were beaten in Brisbane to fall 2-0 down.
The England squad afterwards went on a holiday to Noosa in the gap between the second and the upcoming Tests.
Prior to the Adelaide contest, Stokes said his players had held "honest" talks and he had urged them to "show a bit of dog" in their battle to remain in contention in the series.
Nevertheless, Crawley stated the messaging from the captain and head coach McCullum had remained consistent with their prior tenure in charge.
"It's been very positive, the same as always," said Crawley. "The focus is just trying to be optimistic, playing our brand, with lots of freedom. It felt like we were capable of something special going into this Test."
The Hosts Close of Rapid Ashes Triumph
The opener's dismissal late on Saturday was part of a crucial triple-strike by Australian off-spinner Lyon.
Lyon's triple strike in 20 deliveries – including the wickets of Brook and Ben Stokes – meant England six down for 207 in pursuit of a daunting target of 435.
This means, Australia require just four more wickets on Sunday's final day to secure an unassailable three-nil lead with three matches played.
Defeat would prolong England's winless run in this country to 18 Tests and ensure a fourth straight away Ashes loss.
This series will be completed in only 11 days of play – with England fell the initial matches in two and four days each.
Not since 1921, when Australia sealed victory in the UK in eight days, has the destination of the urn been determined so quickly. The hosts have also triumphed in 11 days on two other instances in the 21st century.
"It's disheartening," said Crawley. "Our goal was to win the Ashes and we're staring down the barrel at this point."
"There remains plenty to play for and we'll definitely view it with that mindset," Crawley added.
"The challenge has been difficult. Australia is a formidable team. It was always going to be tough coming here against them. They entered as the front-runners and they've proven why."
Pope's Place In Question
While the opener's performance in Adelaide probably answers questions about his short-term place in the side, Ollie Pope appears under immense pressure for his spot in the fourth Test on Boxing Day.
The Surrey batsman fell for 17 runs in the team's second innings on day four, adding to his poor record versus the old enemy.
In 16 Ashes innings, the Surrey man has never made a fifty and boasts an average of just 17.62.
A solitary other England player in over a century – Dennis Amiss – has featured an equal number of innings in the top six in the Ashes and recorded a poorer average.
But, Crawley insisted any notion his teammate 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 he. "Ollie has enjoyed a good year to be frank."
"He has produced several excellent innings. This is talk from the outside. There's no chat like that regarding Pope amongst the players," Crawley concluded.
