Dawid Malan says England's top order needs to stand up and be counted when the Ashes series gets underway in Brisbane on Thursday.
The Middlesex batsman put down a timely marker when he scored his first century for England in the final warm-up game against a Cricket Australia XI.
His knock of 109 will have done his confidence a power of good ahead of the game at the Gabba, but Malan says he along with Alastair Cook, Joe Root and the other batsmen will have to perform on the big stage.
He told Sky Sports News: "The three of us or the top five, even the top six, we need to put our hands up in this series.
"We know the wickets can be hard work to bowl on at certain stages so I do think we need to put our hands up so that when we do get in, we score big runs.
"Looking at the Aussies at the moment, I think they will probably play three seamers and a spinner so the longer we can keep them out there the more that can play into our hands as the tests go on and even the series.
Malan is relishing his first taste of Ashes cricket and says England's more experienced players have talked about the need to block out the verbals from the crowd.
"Yeah, a little bit," he added. "In the lead up here towards the series Broady and others spoke about how the crowd got on your back a little bit, but you know I'm quite excited to see what they have to say and what they come up with.
"Ed Joyce did twelfth man here and he came back with some great stories. I'm really intrigued to see what they come up with and what they have for me."
Some Australian players have warned England to expect hostilities on the pitch as well with some predicting a 5-0 whitewash, but Malan is unmoved.
"Look, I think Test cricket is supposed to be hostile," he went on. "I don't think in any Test series you play they are going to come up and bowl you long half volleys and little off-cutters and what have you. I think we know what to expect.
"We are just going to go about our business and do what comes naturally to us and play to our strengths.
"Let the Aussies do the talking and we'll go about our business quietly and hopefully at the end of the Test series it won't be the 5-0 they're talking about."