David Warner says an Ashes victory, and the ensuing celebrations, are not to blame for the side's series-opening ODI loss.
Warner bit at suggestions on Wednesday that his team were still in party mode after the 4-0 Test triumph. He insisted there was plenty of motivation fuelling him in the five-game one-day series.
England chased down a MCG-record 304 for victory on Sunday, with Australia hopeful of levelling proceedings on Friday at the Gabba.
Warner said the Test squad had every right to celebrate the win, but that it had affected their performance in Melbourne.
"As Steve (Smith) said, you've got to celebrate your wins," Warner said.
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"It was a long summer for us and, to play the way we did and beat England four-nil, everyone deserves to go out and celebrate.
"If people think it was over the top, then that's their own opinion.
"For us, you get one day to sum up (celebrate) a summer and I think we did it in the right sense."
He has an ally in England's Jonny Bairstow, who suggested things wouldn't have changed if the shoe was on the other foot.
"So they should; I'm sure if it was the other way around, it would've been exactly the same, (but in bed) before midnight of course," Bairstow added in cheeky reference to England imposing a mid-series curfew.
"Geez, if you can't celebrate winning the Ashes, I'm not sure what you can celebrate, other than your wedding or something like that."
A tour of South Africa is on the horizon and memories of the Test series are still fresh, but Warner says he has no trouble finding motivation for the task at hand.
"It's irrelevant about an Ashes series. We always come to this time of the year after playing a long series. No matter what series it is, we're up and about," he said.
"We're playing another game for Australia - it's what we grew up wanting to do."
The extra pace of Englishman Mark Wood caught Warner out in the series opener but the left-hander said he had no concerns fronting up again at the Gabba.
"You try and keep it in the back of your mind that this ground has always worked well in Australia's favour," he said.
Australia's preparations have been thrown out by illness, with Tim Paine and Josh Hazlewood both in danger of missing Friday's clash.
Wicketkeeper Paine is battling a bout of gastro and is yet to join the squad in Brisbane, while Hazlewood had woken on Wednesday with a virus.
While Paine is likely to be fit to play, fast bowler Hazlewood's illness is considered more serious, leaving the door open for West Australian quick Jhye Richardson to debut.
