England opening batter Crawley has indicated he was not familiar with comments made by captain Ben Stokes regarding the dressing room not being "weak men".
Stokes made those words in several interviews in the wake of his team's defeat in the second match of the Ashes series versus the Australians previously.
In the lead-up to the Adelaide Test, where the visitors now face defeat with a match to spare, Stokes noted he had allowed his message to "circulate freely" within the playing group.
"I've done all the talking over the past two days that I needed to have done," remarked the England leader.
However, following the opener made 85 on the penultimate day in the third Test, he commented: "I missed those remarks."
"I wasn't actively searching for it. We take anything stated in the press with some skepticism," Crawley continued.
Frank Discussions and Consistent Messaging
Stokes made the "weak men" comment after England suffered a loss in the second Test to go two matches behind.
The England squad subsequently went on a holiday to a Queensland resort in the gap between the second and third Tests.
Prior to the Adelaide contest, Stokes said his players had held "raw" conversations and he had asked them to "display some fight" in their effort to remain in contention in the Ashes battle.
Yet, Crawley stated the messaging from the captain and coach Brendon McCullum had remained in line with their prior three years in charge.
"It's been extremely upbeat, unchanged," noted the opener. "The focus is just trying to be optimistic, play our way, with lots of freedom. It felt like we were capable of an extraordinary feat entering this game."
The Hosts Close of Rapid Series Victory
Crawley's wicket late on Saturday came during a decisive triple-strike by Australian off-spinner Lyon.
The spinner's three wickets in 20 deliveries – he also bowled Brook and Stokes himself – left the chasing side 207-6 in pursuit of a notional target of 435.
Consequently, the home team need four wickets on Sunday's last day to secure an unassailable 3-0 lead after three matches played.
A loss will extend England's drought in this country to 18 Tests and ensure a fourth successive overseas Ashes series loss.
The current battle is set to be decided in only eleven days of cricket – after England losing the first two Tests in two and four days respectively.
Not since 1921, when Australia sealed victory in England in eight days, has the outcome of the urn been determined so quickly. Australia have also triumphed in eleven days on two other occasions in the modern era.
"It's disheartening," said Crawley. "We came here to regain the Ashes and now we are facing elimination now."
"There will still be significant pride at stake and we'll definitely view it with that mindset," Crawley added.
"The challenge has been tough. They're a formidable team. It was inevitably tough coming here against them. They entered as the favourites coming in to it have demonstrated their quality."
Ollie Pope's Place In Question
Although Crawley's innings in Adelaide probably answers doubts about his short-term future in the England team, Ollie Pope looks under threat for his position in the fourth Test starting December 26th.
Pope fell for 17 runs in the team's second innings on day four, extending his poor record against the old enemy.
Across sixteen Ashes knocks, the Surrey man has never made a fifty and boasts an average of 17.62.
A solitary other English batsman since 1900 – Amiss – has featured as many times in the top six in the Ashes and recorded a lower average.
But, Crawley insisted any notion his teammate is being scrutinised comes from "you guys" – meaning the press – "and not within the team."
"The squad is fully aware of his considerable talent," said Crawley. "He has had a good year to be frank."
"He has played several excellent innings. It is talk from the outside. There is no discussion of that nature regarding Pope amongst the players," Crawley concluded.
