Nick Compton is determined to stick to his strengths as he once again has to play for his Test future.
England's number three will be under most scrutiny of all home batsmen, in likely tough conditions at Chester-le-Street, when the second Investec Test gets under way against Sri Lanka on Friday.
Compton is well aware of that, of course, after his third-ball duck in the innings victory at Headingley which put England 1-0 up with two to play.
After 14 Tests, he has made 724 runs at just above 30 but also a strike rate of little more than 35 per hundred balls - a crawl compared with most of his free-scoring team-mates in an increasingly gung-ho era.
More unfortunately, perhaps, Compton has acquired too an association with the word 'intense' - one he does not disclaim but rather embraces as a compliment for a batsman of his traditional ilk.
The bottom-line response is that he simply needs to score more runs, in his own way - to ensure further debate is irrelevant.
He does not shirk the issue when asked if his Test career may be on the line, as he seeks to re-establish his second run in the team after returning last December from a two-and-a-half-year hiatus.
"Definitely . you've got to score runs," said Compton.
"I got nought at Headingley; I did okay in South Africa.
"If you don't play well enough, you get dropped. That's fundamentally how it works."
He acknowledges as well he will rarely attract the crowds drawn, for example, by Ben Stokes - the charismatic all-rounder who is missing his home Test after knee surgery.
"I think people are drawn towards a certain glamour - and some players provide that, and people want to see more," Compton said.
"That's great - we're in the entertainment business, it's about getting bums on seats, and I suppose watching Ben Stokes' 200 is better than watching Compton's 80.
"If I was sitting on the couch I'd rather watch Stokes' 200. I'm by no means unaware of that."
England, meanwhile, must choose between all-rounder Chris Woakes and uncapped frontline seamer Jake Ball as Stokes' replacement.
The advice from inked-in Stuart Broad is reassuring - he believes the selectors cannot make the wrong call between two compelling candidates.
"I really like Jake Ball as a bowler," he said, of his Nottinghamshire team-mate.
"I've not seen a bowler improve in 18 months as quickly as he has at any level.
"Chris Woakes is coming off a nine-for on the day he was told he was called up for the Test squad - that's a pretty good day - and Jake has been bowling beautifully all year
"Whoever comes in, the whole squad knows (he) will do a great job."
:: Investec is the title sponsor of Test match cricket in England. For more on Investec private banking, visit investec.co.uk/banking
Source: PA
