Aussies ready for SA challenge: Gilchrist

"There're a lot of comments from past players and people overseas," he said on Wednesday.

"That tells me a couple of things -- one, we must be doing something right because we've got their interest, and two, a lot of those people want to see us fall down."

The first of the three-Test series starts in Adelaide on Friday, with the winner of the series taking over at the head of the world Test championship.

The Proteas are looking to hand Australia their first home series defeat since 1992-93 and their first ever at home against South Africa.

Many experts and former players have questioned Australia's form after a lacklustre performance against New Zealand in Perth this month which saw the three-Test series end 0-0.

But Gilchrist argued Australia were on the up.

"Everyone's really lifting up, you can feel the momentum building up and there's a lot of confidence in the camp," he told reporters.

"In Perth there was a flatness about us."

"But I sense in the side that the guys are addressing what they have to do get peak performance and perhaps we were guilty of not being able to do that through the frustration and the rain of the New Zealand series."

Ranjan Madugalle, recently appointed as the International Cricket Council's chief referee, will be in charge of the match.

India's Srinivas Venkataraghavan will be the neutral umpire for the first Test.

Mail Cricket Editor