After all the talk, the series between Australia and South Africa finally exploded into action on Wednesday as the hosts reached 341-9 on a scintillating first day of the first Test in Perth.
That Australia managed to reach a respectable total after winning the toss and choosing to bat first was a major plus, as they found themselves 15-3 inside the first half-hour.
Makhaya Ntini struck twice in successive balls to remove Matthew Hayden (12) and Ricky Ponting (0), and Dale Steyn then removed Michael Hussey, also for a duck, falling to a spectacular catch by AB de Villiers in the slips.
It was a batsman about which there has been little talk, the crabby Simon Katich, who lifted the Australians.
Katich scored 83 as he and Michael Clarke (62) added 149 for the fourth wicket.
Removing both shortly before tea — Katich leg-before to a Morne Morkel full toss and Clarke holing out to spinner Paul Harris — was a huge plus for South Africa, but Andrew Symonds and the inexperienced Brad Haddin then counter-attacked in the final session.
They added 93 in 18 overs before Harris, another underrated participant in the series, outfoxed Symonds and had him caught at wide long-on for 57.
Haddin (46) stupidly hit Ntini to deep backward point just as another partnership was building with Brett Lee.
Steyn, whose attempts to bounce batsmen out had generally been ill-directed, eventually claimed Lee (29) with a delivery that kicked, JP Duminy — a late replacement for Ashwell Prince (cracked thumb) — gobbling up the catch at gully.
Steyn finished with 2-71 in 18 overs but did not light up proceedings as South Africa had hoped, especially with the second new ball as Jason Krejza (19*) and Mitchell Johnson (18) then added a further 38 runs for the ninth wicket.
Morkel had been the most impressive of the South African bowlers and he eventually claimed his second wicket when he trapped Johnson in front with the last ball of the day.
Morkel finished with 2-62 in 17 overs and he stuck to a sensible length on a pitch famous for its bounce.
Ntini, described by Mickey Arthur in the build-up as the ”leader of the attack”, lived up to his billing with 3-66 in 18 overs, while Jacques Kallis was taken for 65 runs in his 15 overs.
The bowling of Harris was another bonus for South Africa, taking 2-70 in 21 overs.
Australia will be the happier side though, having overcome a woeful start.
South Africa, after cruising through the big three of Hayden, Ponting and Hussey, have been reminded that there is plenty of fight and quality in the other Australians.