'When we walk out to the middle, it's on' – Steyn ready for Australia challenge

Smith and Warner are still serving the bans handed to them by Cricket Australia for their involvement in the ball-tampering incident during the Newlands Test against South Africa in March. The three-match series due to begin in Perth on 4 November will also be the first time the two teams meet in Tests since then.

Steyn stressed that Australia would still be tough nuts to crack and pointed to the many experienced players in the side. "Those two [Smith and Warner] are always going to test you. You want to be playing against the best," Steyn said.

"But I can guarantee you when you're running in at Chris Lynn and he's eyeing out deep mid-wicket, and Aaron Finch who's been scoring runs lately especially for Surrey, it doesn't matter. You've just got to take on who is at the other end, regardless of the name. When we walk out to the middle, it's on."

Adding that any South Africa v Australia match is always a 'spectacle', Steyn said, "Both teams are highly competitive and do everything that they can to win. I don't think that will change come Sunday."

Australia didn't have the best of tours to the United Arab Emirates, where they lost the two-match Test series to Pakistan 1-0 and were swept in the three-match Twenty20 International series that followed. South Africa, too, haven't played much – a tour of Sri Lanka and then a home series against Zimbabwe.

"Both teams are coming off a little bit of a step back, Australia haven't had the greatest tour in the UAE and they are trying to re-build themselves," Steyn pointed out.

"We haven't played much competitive cricket for a long time. We played against Zimbabwe recently, with respect to them, those were tough conditions and we had the better of them in the bowling department and that is why it showed that way. I think it will be evenly matched."

The second and third ODIs will be played on 9 and 11 November and will be followed by a one-off T20I on November 17.