Our top order isn't soft: Warner

Relaxed ... Warner says he isn't feeling the pressure of opening against South Africa. Source: Adam Head / News Limited

Australia opener David Warner rejects claims they will enter the first Test against South Africa with a vulnerable top order.

Warner and fellow opener Ed Cowan are yet to fully establish themselves as Test players, number three Rob Quiney is on debut and Ricky Ponting is battling a hamstring problem.

In contrast South Africa's pace battery has been described as its most potent ever by Allan Donald.

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Cowan, 30, appears to be the man most under pressure with a Test average of 29 after a quiet start to the Sheffield Shield season for Tasmania (150 runs at 21.42).

However, Warner admitted he had to stand up against a Proteas arsenal including world No.1 quick Dale Steyn if he wanted to nail down a Test opening spot.

Since making his Test debut at the Gabba last summer, Warner appears to be sitting pretty with 590 runs at 41.14.

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But Warner has only notched one 50 in his last eight innings - not the ideal lead-up to his first Test since April against the world No.1 team.

Asked if he had established himself as a Test opener, Warner said: "I have got this summer to go and do it - I have to be more consistent.

"I reckon this is the series that will show where you stand in the rankings as a team and as a player."

He was adamant the top order was not Australia's achilles heel despite lining up against the same pace attack that routed them for 47 - their lowest score in 109 years - almost a year ago at Cape Town.

"Not at all, we have all got a lot of runs in us. I don't think we are vulnerable at all," Warner said."We are trying to get back to No.1. I know we have the batting to do that job."

Cowan did not seem fazed under a spotlight that has only intensified with the last-minute addition of Quiney for the injured Shane Watson.

"I feel really positive. I am coming off the back of some good runs. It may not be last week or the week before but in July-August I scored 500 runs in five hits," he said.

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Ponting, meanwhile, said Australia should embrace the challenge of facing the world's best team and remember it was largely that same line-up they defeated in Johannesburg just 12 months ago to secure a share of the spoils in their two-Test series.

"It's really important for us as a group to realise just how close we are to them as a team," Ponting said.

"They're the No.1-ranked team in the world, and deservedly so, but we're breathing down their necks."

Ponting says South Africa are cricket's benchmark and, just like in Australia's time as the world's top team, they should be a scalp everyone wants to acquire.

The 37-year-old got used to teams doing all they could to beat Australia during his captaincy and he expects the same approach to be taken against the Proteas.

"I know whenever we were the No.1 team in the world it just meant every time the opposition played you they wanted to knock you off, they wanted to see where they were at compared to you," he said.

"We're really excited about that and looking forward to that challenge. I know if we play our best, we'll give them a hell of a scare that's for sure."

Ponting came through Tuesday's first training run at the Gabba unscathed and believes his hamstring injury won't prevent him taking to the field on Friday.

Victorian Quiney faced a testing session in the nets against pacemen James Pattinson, Mitchell Starc, Ben Hilfenhaus and Peter Siddle.

The pace barrage was obvious preparation for the 30-year-old's likely baptism of fire against Dale Steyn, Morne Morkel and Vernon Philander in his debut Test but captain Michael Clarke said Quiney could nail down a Test spot if he does well.

Clarke said it was far from certain allrounder Shane Watson would be automatically recalled after his calf injury clears up if the current players do the job in Brisbane.

"It is about performance, about making the most of your opportunity, and then it is about selecting the best eleven players," he said.

"As I have said throughout my career, a winning team is hard to change. If we perform well it is something we will need to assess."

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