Proteas plan to disarm Aussie 'weapon'

Proteas skipper Faf du Plessis says the way his batsmen disarmed Australia's "massive weapon" Nathan Lyon in the first Test is one of the real positives from the Durban loss.

Lyon finished 2017 as the world's leading Test wicket-taker for the calendar year with 63 wickets in 11 matches including five five-wickets hauls and a best of 8-50 against India in Bangalore.

At Kingsmead, the off-spinner started with a bang, dismissing opener Dean Elgar with a brilliant return catch that he makes seem routine before snaring veteran No.3 Hashim Amla caught at bat-pad for a three-ball duck.

He later castled wicketkeeper-batsman Quinton de Kock with a dart that zeroed in at off-stump as Australia bowled out the hosts for 162 to secure a match-winning first-innings lead of 189.

But de Kock's wicket was the last Lyon captured in the first Test as he finished with second-innings figures of 0-86 from 32 overs in Australia's 118-run victory.

Having conquered his demons in Asia last year with outstanding series in India and Bangladesh, Africa is the last continent on the cricketing globe the 30-year-old is yet to master.

In five Test against the Proteas away from home, Lyon has 15 wickets in six matches at an average of 37.86 and a strike rate of 81.6, figures significantly higher than his career marks of 31.78 and 62.1, respectively.

Du Plessis rates Lyon as the lynchpin of the impressive Australia attack and is rapt with how his troops managed the elite spinner last week.

"Although we lost the game and it was very disappointing, there were real positives out of that game," du Plessis said on match eve in Port Elizabeth.

"Australia is a team that do rely on how well Nathan Lyon bowls, and I feel as a team we have played him well in the past.

"He's a massive weapon for them, so we got that through that hurdle on a turning pitch."

Fortunately for Lyon, his tearaway teammates Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Pat Cummins and allrounder Mitchell Marsh had his back and claimed the 10 second-innings wickets in Durban.

Starc in particular was devastating, especially against the Proteas tail when the ball started to reverse swing.

In the Magellan Ashes, the instruction from captain Steve Smith was to relentlessly bounce England's lower order, but so far in South Africa the Australia quicks appear encouraged to pitch the ball up when it starts swinging unconventionally.

Starc picked up nine wickets at Kingsmead and du Plessis says his side have paid extra attention in how to handle the left-armer in the short turnaround between Tests.

"He (Starc) bowled really well and he got the ball to tail," du Plessis said.

"The angle is something we spoke about. He comes from a really wide angle, wider than you would expect from a normal bowler, and it's just about adapting to that to try and counter it."

Four years ago at St George's Park, Proteas pace ace Dale Steyn ripped through Australia in the final session with a scintillating spell of reverse swing bowling.

He captured 4-55 in the second innings and five wickets for the match as Australia lost nine wickets in the final session to lose by 231 runs.

Australia assistant coach Brad Haddin played in that match and was twice out to Steyn – bowled middle stump by a searing inswinger on both occasions, memories that resurfaced when the former gloveman was inspecting the St George's Park wicket on match eve.

Steyn is still on the comeback trail from injury, but du Plessis expects reverse swing to play big part in the match like it did in Durban and against the tourists in 2014.

However, unlike Kingsmead, it will be the sky above and not the surface below that will likely determine when the ball starts to reverse.

"There's quite a lot of knowledge in our dressing room with what is required for reverse swing bowling (at St George's Park)," he said.

"Generally, in PE, the big role that plays a part is what's happening upstairs.

"If it is cloudy, wet and overcast, it's tricky to get the ball to reverse.

"It's when you get the dry wind that blows across and the ball gets really dry, that's when you get the opportunity to reverse swing the ball.

"Dale is just a master of bowling with the reverse swinging ball. He is one of those guys who can rip through a batting attack and then certainly the tail."

The second Test starts at 7pm AEDT from Port Elizabeth tonight.

Qantas tour of South Africa

South Africa squad: Faf du Plessis (c), Hashim Amla, Temba Bavuma, Quinton de Kock, Theunis de Bruyn, AB de Villiers, Dean Elgar, Heinrich Klaasen, Keshav Maharaj, Aiden Markram, Morne Morkel, Wiaan Mulder, Lungi Ngidi, Vernon Philander, Kagiso Rabada.

Australia squad: Steve Smith (c), David Warner (vc), Cameron Bancroft, Pat Cummins, Peter Handscomb, Josh Hazlewood, Jon Holland, Usman Khawaja, Nathan Lyon, Mitchell Marsh, Shaun Marsh, Tim Paine, Jhye Richardson, Chadd Sayers, Mitchell Starc.

Warm-up match: Australia beat South Africa A by five wickets. Report, highlights

First Test Australia won by 118 runs. Scorecard

Second Test St George's Park, Port Elizabeth, March 9-13. Live coverage

Third Test Newlands, Cape Town, March 22-26. Live coverage

Fourth Test Wanderers, Johannesburg, March 30-April 3. Live coverage