The English opener Zak Crawley suggested he was not familiar with statements made by skipper Ben Stokes about the dressing room as no place for "those lacking fortitude".
Stokes made those words in several interviews following his team's loss in the second match of the Ashes series versus Australia earlier this month.
Ahead of the Adelaide Test, where the visitors now face a series loss with a match to spare, Stokes stated he had allowed his sentiment to "drift around" among the playing group.
"I have completed the necessary discussions over the past two days that I required," said the England leader.
However, following Crawley scored 85 on the fourth day in Adelaide, he stated: "I missed those remarks."
"I wasn't actively searching for it. Our approach is to take anything stated in the media with a pinch of salt," he added.
Frank Discussions and Steady Philosophy
The captain issued his "fragile individuals" comment after England suffered a loss in Brisbane to fall 2-0 down.
The team afterwards took a holiday to a Queensland resort between the second and third matches.
Before the Adelaide contest, he revealed his players had held "raw" talks and he had urged them to "show a bit of dog" in their battle to stay in contention in the series.
Yet, Crawley asserted the messaging from Stokes and coach Brendon McCullum had remained consistent with their previous tenure in charge.
"It's been very positive, the same as always," said the opener. "The focus is on maintaining positivity, play our way, with lots of freedom. It felt like we were capable of something special entering this game."
Australia On the Verge of Rapid Series Victory
The opener's wicket late on Saturday was part of a decisive three-wicket burst by Australia off-spinner Lyon.
The spinner's three wickets in a short spell – he also bowled Brook and Ben Stokes – left England six down for 207 chasing a daunting target of 435.
This means, the home team require four wickets on the last day to move to an unassailable three-nil lead with three Tests.
A loss will extend the English team's winless run in Australia to 18 consecutive matches and condemn them to a fourth successive overseas Ashes loss.
The current battle is set to be decided in only eleven days of cricket – after England losing the first two Tests in rapid time respectively.
Not since 1921, when the Australians sealed a series win in the UK in eight days, has the outcome of the urn been determined so quickly. The hosts have also won in eleven days on two other occasions in the modern era.
"This is disheartening," said the batsman. "Our goal was to regain the Ashes and we're facing elimination now."
"There remains plenty to play for and we'll definitely view it like that," Crawley added.
"It's been tough. Australia is a formidable side. It was always going to be tough touring here to face them. They were the favourites coming in to it have demonstrated their quality."
Pope's Place In Question
Although the opener's performance in the third Test probably answers doubts about his short-term place in the side, Ollie Pope looks under threat for his position in the Melbourne Test starting December 26th.
Pope was out for 17 runs in the team's second innings on Saturday, extending his modest returns versus the old enemy.
Across sixteen Ashes knocks, the Surrey man has failed to score a fifty and boasts an average of just 17.62.
Only one other England player since 1900 – Amiss – has featured an equal number of innings in the top six in Ashes Tests and returned a lower average.
However, Crawley said any notion his teammate is being scrutinised comes from "you guys" – referring to the press – "and not within the team."
"The squad is fully aware of his considerable talent," said he. "He has had a productive year if I'm honest."
"He has produced some really good knocks. This is talk externally. There's no chat of that nature on Ollie in the camp," he concluded.
