England captain Ben Stokes on Tuesday asserted that his team will respond in kind to any aggression from Indian players in the fourth Test starting here from Wednesday, indicating no cessation to the verbal volleys in an intensely fought series.

"I don't think it's one of those things where we're going to necessarily just go out and start at [sledging]. I don't think either team's really looked to do that. I think there's always going to be a moment in a Test series where something does heat up. It's a massive series and there's a lot of pressure on both teams to perform," Stokes said on the eve of the match at Old Trafford.

It might have been an organic reaction to a particular situation, but Stokes hinted clearly that aggression from the rival camp will not be taken lightly.