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Ponting may have claimed on Wednesday that he is "looking forward" to leading this inexperienced side as they look to defend the five kilogrammes of gold and silver contained in the ICC Test Mace, but the mood among South Africans is that with such an untested Australian side there for the takling, surely the hosts can't let this one slip. 


With over 86,000 tickets already sold by 3pm Tuesday for this Test out of the 150,000 available, the South African public - who can have a tendency for fair-weather support - are clearly expectant. It's the most pre-sale tickets to have been flogged for a game in South Africa since England toured in 1998, and with a steady trickle of fans still arriving at the Wanderers ticket office throughout Wednesday a handsome crowd can be expected. 


Having named a squad of 12 for the match by omitting spinners Nathan Hauritz and Bryce McGain, the mustachioed David Boon will seemingly have one major decision to make as Australia's on-site selector. With Phil Hughes' debut as opener a certainty the top five picks itself, while Andrew McDonald and Marcus North are expected to fill the numbers six and eight berths with North also providing part-time spin following his six-for in Potchefstroom. 


Mitchell Johnson will lead the attack and Peter Siddle should be a shoe-in as a bowler able to utilise the swing and bounce on offer here, leaving Doug Bollinger and Ben Hilfenhaus to scrap it out for the final spot in the side in a tussle that could go either way.