Durban: Warning: Steve Smith has the love back. In January, Australia's captain could barely stand the sight of a bat, let alone swing one, so cooked was he after an exhausting, albeit triumphant Ashes campaign.

Predictably, however, he could only stay away from it for so long.

Refreshed: Steve Smith had a break after Australia's one-day series against England and is eager to resume. Credit:Rick Rycroft

The world's best Test batsman is rejuvenated after sitting out the closing credits of the home summer - the Twenty20 tri-series - and is itching to get back on centre stage for Australia's third bumper series of the past 12 months.

The extension of this tour to four Tests - for the first time against South Africa since 1969/70 - gives it the makings of an epic and after making three hundreds in each of the marquee series against India and England over the past year Smith again shapes as a likely leading man.