Durban resident Pollock has yet to play in a Test against Australia in his hometown - and has only played in two home Tests over three series against the world champions.

The Kingsmead pitch is expected to offer pace and bounce, with batsmen likely to face a tough challenge on the first two days. In recent years it has become easier for batting the longer a game goes on, but with overcast and humid weather expected it could offer something to the bowlers throughout. After a batting failure in the first Test, with no home batsman reaching 50, South Africa will be seeking a major improvement to avoid surrendering the series with one match still to play - a fate which has befallen them in the previous two home series against Australia.

Ace Australian leg-spinner Shane Warne said Wednesday that he believed Australia had an edge over South Africa in Test cricket. "I think our seamers exposed a few technical problems in their batting. Their middle order are always getting exposed because they are one or two down early." Warne also criticised South Africa for the late watering of the Newlands pitch for the first Test.

"I've always been brought up to believe that you leave the groundsmen to prepare the best wicket he can, and both sides play under the same conditions. "If they want to wet the wicket and they don't want to bat last and face me, that's fine. But then they're going to have Brett Lee, Stuart Clark and Michael Kasprowicz to deal with." South African vice-captain Jacques Kallis said he expected a normal Kingsmead pitch. "It's a wicket that goes around a bit and then becomes a good batting wicket," said Kallis, who discounted Warne's comments about South Africa's frailty.

"He's there for entertainment. He always comes up with statements, and the guys don't take too much notice of what he says. He creates a laugh or two in the change-room, but we don't worry about what he says."

South Africa are likely to field an all-seam bowling attack, with all-rounder Andrew Hall keeping his place at the expense of left-arm spinner Nicky Boje. Australia are unlikely to change the team that won in Cape Town, where they opted for a three-man pace attack, with no place for leg-spinner Stuart MacGill.

TEAMS
SOUTH AFRICA (likely team): Graeme Smith (c), AB de Villiers, Herschelle Gibbs, Jacques Kallis, Ashwell Prince, Jacques Rudolph, Mark Boucher, Shaun Pollock, Andrew Hall, Makhaya Ntini, Andre Nel.

AUSTRALIA: Ricky Ponting (c), Justin Langer, Matthew Hayden, Damien Martyn, Michael Hussey, Adam Gilchrist, Andrew Symonds, Shane Warne, Brett Lee, Michael Kasprowicz, Stuart Clark.