MacGill primed for first Test

Stuart MacGill hopes to make up for missed opportunities as he eyes a spot in Australia's Test team for the opening match of the three-game series at Cape Town on Thursday. MacGill toured South Africa in 2000-01 but didn't play a Test, and this time he is determined to take part as the visitors consider a twin-spin approach.

"It would be good to start a series, and I think that's probably the different thing this time around," MacGill told AAP. "I haven't really done that too often. I guess I played in the West Indies a couple of times where I started the series. But this will be exciting because it's a highly anticipated return bout and South Africa will be hard work at home."

South Africa have traditionally played legspin poorly and MacGill believed it was a weakness. "It's really just a matter of if we bowl well, we're hard work," he said. "It doesn't matter what the opposition is. I don't think they've got any baggage that I need to exploit. If I bowl well, I'm sure I'll get some rewards."

MacGill, who took six wickets in the recent home series, said he wanted to "stamp his authority" on the contest. Despite a poor Pura Cup return of 15 wickets at 58.73, MacGill is tipped to join Shane Warne for the first Test and Mickey Arthur, the South Africa coach, has spoken about the need to conquer the two legspinners.

"Durban was somewhere I was really licking my lips at last time," MacGill said of the second-Test venue. "It has plenty of bounce, and that's something that's very attractive to me. And in Cape Town, I think Warney bowled 98 overs, so there's certainly going to be plenty of chances for me to push my claims for the whole series. If I bowl well in the first Test and we win, it just opens things up for me as the series goes on."

While Brett Lee had treatment for a bruised foot that is not expected to be a problem for the Test series, Shaun Tait vowed to maintain his all-or-nothing style if he gets a chance. Tait was picked on the tour as the spare bowler behind Lee, Stuart Clark and Michael Kasprowicz, and should come into contention when Warne is the only slow bowler.

"With Glenn McGrath out of the side, they've got Clark and Kasper who are more of a similar mould to him and then obviously two spinners in the first two games," Tait said. "Me and Brett in the same side would be exciting, but whether the selectors take that approach this soon in my career I don't know."

Tait said his speed was back to 100% after a shoulder operation in October and he had no plans to slow down. "I'll go out there and just try to take a wicket every ball," he said. "I'm going to spray a few around the place."