Australia fast bowler Mitchell Johnson has insisted he is relishing the role of being the man English crowds love to hate.
Johnson was subjected to prolonged vocal abuse as England won the third Ashes Test by eight wickets inside three days at Edgbaston ground to take a 2-1 lead.
Johnson is bracing himself for more of the same at Trent Bridge, where the fourth Test starts on Thursday.
But, the left-arm paceman regards the barracking as a “compliment” and said the way in which he had stopped his run and then bowled from beside the umpire on Friday were his way of responding to the taunts, rather than a sign that spectators had got to him. “When the whole crowd is cheering my name at the end of a game — when they (England) have just won you have to take that as a compliment.”
Johnson added: "I definitely feel like I can take the brunt of it and I take the focus away from the other guys and I've really embraced that role.
"When you're walking with your family in the street, I think it's a bit overboard. But on the field, I think that's fair game ... I'm all for it."
Broad wary of Clarke
England paceman Stuart Broad is proud of the way his side has restricted Australia captain Michael Clarke in the Ashes series so far but warned they cannot let Clarke off the hook.
Back and hamstring injuries have restricted Clarke to just eight Tests in the past year and, with Australia 2-1 down in the five-match Ashes series, there is a sense the 34-year-old is approaching a crunch point.
"We obviously do a lot of research on him because he averages something like 52 in over 110 Tests which is remarkable, the career he's had," said Broad speaking Tuesday at his Trent Bridge home ground, where the fourth Test starts on Thursday.
"We've made it hard for Michael. We know how dangerous he is. He is such a key player for them and it's been going well so far."
Thursday's match will see England go into a Test without James Anderson for the first time since both he and Broad were controversially rested from the team that played the West Indies in a rain-affected draw.
Anderson, who took an Ashes best 6/47 at Edgbaston last week, has been ruled out with a side strain.