There's plenty to talk about heading into Australia's first batting innings.

Firstly, are the demons real or imagined? We know the fragile South African batting line-up struggled, so what can this in-form Aussie squad do?

In particular, David Warner. He's got the weight of the cricketing world on his shoulders. His form is way off, and there are plenty of people hoping for his downfall. He'll be feeling that pressure, but you never know when his counter-punching style will hit back.

For South Africa, their hopes lie with their similarly stacked bowling attack. Kagiso Rabada is up there with Pat Cummins as one of the best bowlers in the world, Anrich Nortje bowls as fast as a person can, Marco Jansen is a giant, and Lungi Ngidi's average is still below 22 as he hunts his 50th Test scalp.

This session could go a long way to decided the first Test. If Australia make it through having lost one wicket or even completely unscathed, then they'll be set for a massive first-innings lead. If South Africa can get a couple early, then it comes back to parity.

Can't wait.