Warner hooks another to Root

But the comical irony of his dismissal didn't stop the colourful Australian, who was pinch hitting at the top of the order, from not only embracing his villain status but potentially eyeing a permanent return to opening the batting.

With Australia needing to score rapidly to remain a chance of winning the Test, Warner was moved up, with his experiment in the middle order lasting all of one innings.

Surprisingly, the boundary-hitting Shane Watson was demoted to No.4, and experts Shane Warne and Michael Atherton suggested it should be how Australia line-up from here on in.

Warner, who averages 39 and has three hundreds opening, clearly struggled in the first innings coming in against spin.

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Pushing Watson down to No.4 would put another right-hander in the middle to negate the influence of Graeme Swann.

However, opening is statistically Watson's best position and moving him would be a major backflip from coach Darren Lehmann, who has said on numerous occasions that the allrounder will be backed to the hilt at the top.

Warner said before his return that he was looking forward to becoming the new Mike Hussey at No.6, but after making a quick-fire 41 on Sunday, the pugnacious left-hander reiterated his fondness for facing the new ball.

"I love opening the batting, that's where I started my career," he said.

"I'm just enjoying being back in the team. All my misdemeanours are behind me at the moment and I'm just happy to be playing cricket."

Warner's rivalry with Joe Root has only grown the past few days.

Punching Root in a Birmingham nightclub in June certainly hasn't been forgotten by fans, with Warner egged on by a raucous Manchester crowd and the barmy army trumpeter playing the Rocky theme song.

Root sledged Warner when he came to the crease in the first innings, and then triumphantly celebrated his catch in the deep on Sunday by fist-pumping to the fans behind him.

Warner cautioned his nightclub nemesis that he has a "long memory."

"Oh Joey... He said to me, 'it's been a long couple of months hasn't it?' And I turned around with a bit of a smile," he said.

"I've got a long memory, so that's alright.

"I hooked another one to Rooty. Of all the people in the field ... it's quite comical now. I can't wait to read Twitter a bit later."

Warner said he doesn't mind being hated, but still enjoyed a break from being tormented in the morning session - claiming his beer-swilling critics were too hungover to sledge him.

"I'm not well liked at the moment," he said.

"It's not everyday you walk out on the field and you get booed. You've just got to embrace it.

"Come tomorrow when I'm out on the boundary and they're full again I think I might cop it."