I don’t talk to opposition

WHILE I was batting I got hit in the grill of my helmet by a Josh Hazlewood bouncer and the doctor came on.

But it hardly got me, even though the stemguard flew off.

There was no issue with it, but it was the first time that I had been hit in a while.

The Aussies asked if I was alright, but I didn’t talk back, and gave them nothing because I just do not talk to the opposition when I’m batting.

They thought I was trying to be a tough guy and let me know it, but I don’t engage while I’m batting and try to stay in my own bubble. There is nothing to be gained from it.

After the game there was no real interaction with the Aussies apart from the handshake at the end.

We don’t generally go into each other’s dressing rooms for a beer after a game, we tend to save that sort of thing until the end of the series. Ashes cricket is hard and fair and we’ve still got two games to go to try and turn them over at Old Trafford and

The Oval.