Watson wants high intensity

Shane Watson is desperate for Australia to lift their intensity to match England at Headingley from Friday as they battle to stay in the Ashes. The tourists must win the fourth Test to have a chance of taking the series and Watson believes his team can deal with the increase in pressure and "argy bargy" as the contest peaks.

"We need to raise the intensity," Watson said after Australia's training session on Wednesday. "We've been able to do it for a period of time, but we haven't been able to do it consistently, to keep it going for the whole five days. That's something we know we need to achieve to win this series."

The sides became engaged in frequent on-field arguments during the third Test when the Australians, who were led by Mitchell Johnson, vowed to get in the faces of the home batsmen. It added a further element to an already gripping campaign while showing the strain from both camps as the players seek to land the winning blow.

Watson has predicted more edge at Leeds. "Yeah, definitely," he said. "It's getting closer to the end. It's great to have some competitive banter out there. Everyone's going hammer and tongs to give yourself the best chance of winning and there's normally a bit of friction in the crowd as well."

After taking Phillip Hughes' spot at Edgbaston, Watson stepped up with two half-centuries as an opener and will face more close examinations in his new role this week. If it's cloudy at Headlingley the ball will move consistently through the air, but if it's sunny the surface should be excellent for batting.

Watson is usually a middle-order player and has had to tone down his style to cope with life at the top of the order in England. "When the ball is swinging around you can't be as aggressive as you would be batting in the middle order, but it's something that I really enjoy the challenge of," he said. "Playing against a brand new ball is great fun."

It wasn't the start of the innings that troubled Watson in Birmingham, but what happened when he started to think of reaching three figures. He was out for 62 on the second morning, having spent the previous night wondering how far he would get, and survived a torrid period from Andrew Flintoff on the final day before succumbing to James Anderson.

He was struck on the arm trying to avoid a Flintoff lifter but seemed convincing when he said he liked the experience of facing England's hero. "I have felt confident out there once I got going," he said. "With the short ball that hit me, that is part and parcel of dealing with guys who can bowl fast. It didn't hurt too much so it was okay."

While Watson's second match as opener is a subplot to the game, everything comes back to how Australia will cope over the next week as they try to stay in the series. "There's pressure definitely on us," he said. "We've got to be at our best in the last two Tests for us to be able to achieve the things we want to achieve."