The English opening batter Zak Crawley suggested he had no knowledge of statements made by captain Ben Stokes about the team environment as no place for "weak men".
Stokes delivered those words in multiple interviews following England's defeat in the second match of the Ashes series against the Australians previously.
Ahead of the Adelaide Test, where England are staring at a series loss with a match to spare, Stokes stated he had let his sentiment to "circulate freely" within the squad.
"I've done the necessary discussions over the past two days that I required," remarked the England leader.
However, following Crawley made 85 on the fourth 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 press with some skepticism," he added.
Raw Conversations and Steady Philosophy
The captain made the "weak men" comment after England were beaten in Brisbane to fall 2-0 down.
The England squad afterwards went on a break to a Queensland resort in the gap between the second and the upcoming matches.
Before this match, he revealed his team had held "raw" talks and he had urged them to "show a bit of dog" in their effort to stay alive in the series.
Nevertheless, Crawley stated the messaging from the captain and head coach Brendon McCullum had stayed in line with their previous tenure in leadership.
"It's been extremely upbeat, unchanged," said the opener. "It's on maintaining positivity, playing our brand, with great liberty. It felt like we were capable of something special entering this game."
Australia On the Verge of Rapid Series Victory
Crawley's dismissal on day four was part of a decisive triple-strike by Australia spinner Lyon.
Lyon's three wickets in 20 deliveries – he also bowled Harry Brook and Ben Stokes – meant the chasing side six down for 207 in pursuit of a notional total of 435.
This means, Australia need four wickets on the final day to move to an unassailable three-nil lead with three matches played.
A loss will extend the English team's drought in this country to 18 Tests and ensure a fourth straight away Ashes defeat.
This series will be completed in just eleven days of cricket – after 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 more swiftly. Australia have also won in eleven days on two other instances in the modern era.
"This is disappointing," admitted the batsman. "We came here to regain the Ashes and now we are staring down the barrel now."
"There will still be significant pride at stake and we will certainly approach it like that," Crawley added.
"It's been difficult. Australia is a very, very good side. It was inevitably hard coming here against them. They entered as the favourites coming in to it they've proven why."
Pope's Position Under Scrutiny
Although Crawley's innings in Adelaide likely secures doubts about his short-term future in the England team, Ollie Pope appears under threat for his position in the Melbourne Test on Boxing Day.
Pope was out for 17 in England's second innings on Saturday, adding to his modest returns versus Australia.
In sixteen Ashes knocks, 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 – Amiss – has played as many times in the top order in Ashes Tests and returned a poorer average.
However, the opener insisted any suggestion Pope is under the microscope comes from "you guys" – referring to the journalists – "not inside the camp."
"We all know of his considerable talent," added Crawley. "He has had a good year if I'm honest."
"He has produced several excellent innings. It is talk externally. There's no chat of that nature regarding Pope amongst the players," he finished.