Melbourne: Having been at the receiving end of some verbal volleys in the Brisbane Test, Australian pacer Mitchell Johnson says that India's sledging attempt at the Gabba last week backfired against his team.

Australia were in trouble at 247 for six when Johnson came to the crease, still 161 runs behind India's first-innings total of 408 when the close-in fielders tried to unsettle the burly pacer. But Johnson said that verbal exchanges only made his resolve stronger as he and skipper Steve Smith stitched a 148-run partnership.