England opener Crawley has indicated he had no knowledge of comments made by skipper Ben Stokes about the dressing room as no place for "those lacking fortitude".
Stokes delivered those words in several conversations following his team's defeat in the second Ashes series versus the Australians earlier this month.
In the lead-up to the third Test, where the visitors are staring at defeat with a match to spare, Stokes noted he had allowed his sentiment to "drift around" within the squad.
"I've done the necessary discussions in recent days that I required," remarked Stokes.
However, after Crawley made a knock of 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. We take anything stated in the media with a pinch of salt," he added.
Raw Conversations and Consistent Messaging
Stokes issued his "weak men" comment subsequent to England suffered a loss in the second Test to fall two matches behind.
The England squad afterwards went on a holiday to a Queensland resort in the gap between the second and the upcoming matches.
Before this match, Stokes said his team had held "raw" talks and he had asked them to "show a bit of dog" in their effort to remain alive in the Ashes battle.
Nevertheless, Crawley stated the guidance from Stokes and coach Brendon McCullum had remained consistent with their previous three years in leadership.
"The atmosphere has been very positive, the same as always," noted Crawley. "The focus is on maintaining positivity, playing our brand, with lots of freedom. We believed we were capable of something special entering this game."
Australia On the Verge of Historic Ashes Triumph
The opener's wicket on day four came during a crucial triple-strike by Australian off-spinner Lyon.
Lyon's three wickets in 20 deliveries – he also bowled Brook and Stokes himself – left England six down for 207 in pursuit of a daunting total of 435 runs.
This means, Australia need four wickets on the final day to secure an insurmountable three-nil lead after three Tests.
A loss will extend England's drought in this country to 18 Tests and condemn them to a fourth straight overseas Ashes defeat.
The current battle is set to be decided in only eleven days of play – after England losing the first two Tests in rapid time respectively.
The last time 1921, when the Australians completed victory in England in eight days, has the destination of the Ashes urn been decided so quickly. The hosts have also triumphed in eleven days on two other occasions in the modern era.
"It's disheartening," admitted Crawley. "We came here to regain the Ashes and we're staring down the barrel now."
"There will still be plenty to play for and we will definitely view it with that mindset," Crawley added.
"It's been tough. They're a formidable side. It was always going to be hard coming here against them. They were the favourites and have demonstrated their quality."
Ollie Pope's Place In Question
While Crawley's innings in the third Test probably answers questions about his short-term future in the side, Ollie Pope looks under immense pressure for his position in the fourth Test starting December 26th.
The Surrey batsman was out for 17 runs in England's second knock on Saturday, extending his poor record against Australia.
Across 16 Ashes innings, Pope has failed to score a half-century and averages just 17.62.
A solitary other England player since 1900 – Dennis Amiss – has played as many times in the top six in the Ashes and recorded a lower average.
But, Crawley said any suggestion Pope is under the microscope comes from "the media" – referring to the press – "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 produced several excellent innings. This is talk from the outside. There is no discussion like that regarding Pope in the camp," he finished.
