Steve Smith has encouraged South Africa to sledge him during the first Test, insisting it will only sharpen his resolve.
The Proteas will have spent a lot of time analysing Smith's superb form in the recent Ashes, when Australia's skipper helped himself to 687 runs and man-of-the-series honours.
One memorable tactic employed by Englishmen Jimmy Anderson and Stuart Broad was their verbal onslaught in Adelaide, where the pacemen antagonised Smith at almost every opportunity.
Smith managed 40 and six in that game, comfortably his lowest scores in a series in which the world's best batsman averaged 137.4 and earned yet more Don Bradman comparisons.
However, correlation does not imply causation.
"A bit of a verbal challenge actually makes me switch on a bit more and gets me in for the fight," Smith told reporters on the eve of the four-Test series opener in Durban.
"If they do go for it, it doesn't bother me.
"They can go for their lives.
"I feel like I've been batting well since we've been here. Hopefully, I can stand up again."
Clashes between Australia and the Proteas are generally heated. The most-recent Test series in South Africa ended with the hosts refusing a customary post-series beer.
The build-up to this series has been relatively subdued, but the intensity will lift on Thursday when the rivals take the field at Kingsmead.
"I don't really like to think too much about what gets them going. I prefer to think about what gets either myself or us going," Smith said.
"If that's getting into a (verbal) contest ... then go for it."
South Africa adopted a somewhat similar mindset in recent home matches against India, with Vernon Philander and Kagiso Rabada both barking back at Virat Kohli.
"I know when I go out to bat, I get a warm welcome from most of them," spinner Nathan Lyon said of the Proteas.
"It's a mental game, as well as a physical game."
Australia are expected to niggle Rabada, who risks a two-Test ban if he transgresses yet again.
Rabada copped a one-Test suspension last year after telling Ben Stokes to "f*** off", while he delivered a spirited send-off of debutant Nic Maddinson in 2016 at Adelaide Oval.
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