Australia didn't intend to create hundreds of headlines but the sledging-induced dismissal of Jonny Bairstow could hardly have made Steve Smith happier.
Bairstow copped a barrage of barbs from Smith's side during the first Ashes Test at the Gabba, especially on day four when the game was in the balance.
The chat focused on the wicketkeeper's run-in with Cameron Bancroft at the start of England's tour. Stump microphones picked up David Warner barking "you shouldn't headbutt our mates".
"It was basically about trying to get Jonny off his game," Smith said after Australia cruised to a 10-wicket win.
"It worked, with the way he got out - getting caught at third man playing a pretty ordinary stroke.
"We were just trying to get in his head and it happened to work."
Bairstow scored 42 in England's second innings, only to throw his wicket away amid a collapse of 4-10. He steered a short ball from Mitchell Starc to third man in what should have been the final over before tea on Sunday.
England coach Trevor Bayliss conceded Bairstow's behaviour had given "the opposition ammunition to put pressure on".
"They mentioned it to get under Jonny's skin, as may have been done a few years ago (after David Warner clipped Joe Root) in England," Bayliss said.
England captain Joe Root agreed it was "disappointing that we've given them an opportunity to bring something up".
Players have long been opposed to the use of stump microphones.
Cricket Australia is expected to rebuke Triple M, who broadcast Warner's line on Sunday then uploaded an audio clip of it online the follow morning. The clip was taken down shortly after.
"We certainly have no intention of anyone outside of the people on the field knowing what's going on - on the field," Smith said.
Warner has been quite quiet on the field since his infamous run-in with Rohit Sharma during an ODI almost three years ago.
But the vice-captain declared pre-series he wanted to return to being a more antagonistic voice on the field.
Warner is no stranger to upsetting England with his words. Four years ago he told reporters the visiting batsmen "have scared eyes and the way Trotty (Jonathan Trott) got out was pretty poor and weak".
Trott then left the tour because of mental health issues.
Smith doesn't expect the Bairstow episode to create any added animosity between the sides but made it clear the visitors can expect more sprays throughout the five-Test series.
"We're going to continue to play the same way we have, nice and aggressively. This has been a really good week for us," Smith said.
"There's a line that you're not to cross."
Nathan Lyon gave an insight into his side's approach last week, saying they would "headbutt the line",
Jimmy Anderson was also involved in a handful of verbal confrontations with Australian players at the Gabba during the first Test, as was the case four years ago when Michael Clarke warned the paceman to "get ready for a broken f***ing arm".
