“I heard someone said that they were talking about getting into my ego or something during the week,” Warner said.

“If they want to start talking out there and give me a bit of banter then I'm all for it. I know what to expect and I reckon I've got the game plan to counteract that.”

Warner will have to contend with another fiery character on the pitch, Dale Steyn, who recently said: “Where else in the world do you get the chance to basically kill someone with two bouncers in an over. Legally. I think that can bring out the anger in anyone. Off the field I’m pretty chilled, but on it, it’s all business.”

As one Australian newspaper pointed out this week, Steyn’s Test bowling figures (287 wickets in 57 tests at an average of 23.50) stack up pretty well compared to West Indies great Malcolm Marshall at a similar stage of his career.

But there will be more to the South African armoury then just Steyn.

Morne Morkel and Graeme Smith’s most reliable bowler Vernon Philander will also be running to take a shot at the Aussies.

He has never faced them before in Tests but is no rookie at squaring off against the Proteas' pace triumvirate. He smashed Steyn to all parts of the SCG in 2009, plays alongside Morkel in the IPL and also padded up against Philander in an ‘A’ game.

“Every time I've played against Dale he's never said a word to me. It will be good if he starts coming down and giving a bit of banter, I enjoy that,” Warner added.

“Basically [I'll] just do what I normally do. See the ball and hit the ball.”