We don't always have to be nice: England's Brook

After exchanging good-natured wins at Headingley and Edgbaston, the Test series grew testy as India's fielders clashed with Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett in a time-wasting row. 

That lit a fire under England when it was their turn to field, with Jofra Archer giving a pumped-up send-off to Rishabh Pant while Brydon Carse and Ravindra Jadeja were involved in a mid-pitch collision. 

India crumbled to 170 all out in pursuit of 193 to fall 2-1 down ahead of this week's penultimate Test at Old Trafford, but Brook did not think England crossed any line in their pursuit of victory. 

Brook said: "I've had a lot of compliments. Everybody said it was awesome to watch. It was good fun, I have to admit, it was tiring but it made fielding a lot more enjoyable. 

"I think it put them under a little bit more pressure. The opportunity that arose for us to not be the nice guys was because of what they did. We just thought 'we're not standing for that'. 

"We had a conversation and said 'it's time to not be those nice guys that we have been before'. You don't always have to be nice. Who knows, that might have played into our favour. It was good fun. 

"We were doing it within the spirit of the game. We weren't going out there effing and jeffing at them and being nasty people. We were just going about it in the right manner." 

England have been accused of being too carefree and Brook revealed it was at his urging after some choice words from head coach Brendon "Baz" McCullum that they should shed that approach. 

"We were just putting them under more pressure. Baz actually said a few days before that we are too nice sometimes, and I brought it up the night before the last day: 'Baz said the other day we're too nice, I think tomorrow is a perfect opportunity to really get stuck into them'." 

Mohammed Siraj was fined 15 per cent of his match fee and given one demerit point for his angry send-off of Duckett during England's second innings, which ended with the pair brushing shoulders. 

But after Siraj became the last man out a series of England players, including Brook, went over to offer commiserations to him.

Australian Associated Press