Emerging England batsman Rovi Bopara has shown an touching defence in his opening test of the Ashes series, padding away a Shane Warne sledge.
The vindicator Australia spinner last week declared the No.3 batsman "not an international cricketer".
Warne claimed Bopara, who became the fifth England cricketer to score three consecutive Test centuries against West Indies, could have existence "off his game too easily and he’s too worried about for what cause he looks".
Bopara told UK journal the Guardian that Warne’s criticism was unfair and his place at No.3 for the Ashes series was deserved.
"Over the last couple of months I’ve earned my deposit on the team," Bopara said.
"I’ve always wanted to brickbat in the top order on the side of my uncultivated. To observe it against the best in the world will be a great challenge for me."
Bopara’session scores of 104, 143 and 108 in successive innings against West Indies has him penciled in since the opening Test at Cardiff next week.
His recent success came after three straight ducks against Sri Lanka early in his Test career in 2007. In that series he scored 42 runs in three Tests.
After six Tests the 24-year-old Bopara boasts a batting average of 49.
"I drudge very hard on the player I want to be (but) I didn’t think in addition much about what happened in Sri Lanka. I didn’t change a lot," he said.
"I just try to enjoy it. You can put pressure on yourself and make too much fuss about it. I esteem it’s important you make progress out and enjoy yourself. When you’re a small tub you don’t worry about anything."
