Brett Lee's timely return to form and wicketkeeper Brad Haddin's confidence-boosting century were clearly the highlights of the second Test win over New Zealand as Australia warms up for its biggest challenge on home soil in nearly two decades against a powerful South African side.
Thanks to Lee's 10th five-wicket haul in an innings, Australia wrapped up a 2-0 series win over an outclassed New Zealand with a day to spare on Monday as the Kiwis were bowled out for 203 in their second innings at the Adelaide Oval.
That left Australia victors by an innings and 62 runs and the margin summed up the difference in class between the two teams as the Kiwis - decimated by retirements and with players such as fast bowler Shane Bond opting instead to play in the rebel Indian Cricket League - found it difficult to compete on an even footing with the home side.
The Kiwis, who had been so competitive in the first Test in Brisbane, could not even bat out a full day on day four on Australia's best batting wicket - again highlighting the current gulf in world cricket between the strong and weaker nations.
But while much of that had to do with the fine bowling of Lee, who has bounced back with a vengeance from his lean series in India when he could only manage eight wickets at 61.6, don't expect the South Africans to capitulate as easily as the Kiwis.
After taking 4-66 in the first innings in the second Test, Lee backed that up with 5-105 in the second as his pace and accuracy was simply too much for the Kiwis.
In the process the 32-year-old not only became just the fourth Australian bowler after Shane Warne, Glenn McGrath and Dennis Lillee to take 300 Test wickets but showed he still plans to carry the mantle as Australia's spearhead for a while longer yet after his place in the side had been questioned during the 2-0 series loss in India.
Haddin too had come under some mostly unfair scrutiny following the series loss in India but his maiden Test century - a hard-hitting 169 - will do his confidence the world of good in bedding down the difficult keeper/batsman position as he follows in the footsteps of the greatest player ever to hold down that position in Adam Gilchrist.
While Haddin was quick to dismiss any comparisons to the incomparable Gilchrist - who scored the first of his 17 Test centuries in only his second Test match - in scoring his first century in just his ninth Test he reached that milestone quicker than two of Australia's greatest keepers in Rod Marsh (12th Test) and Ian Healy (48th Test).
The performances of Lee and Haddin leaves Australia's team in a pretty stable position ahead of the eagerly-awaited three-Test series against South Africa - beginning in Perth on December 17 - with the only concerns now being the form of veteran opener Matthew Hayden and whether incumbent Andrew Symonds or the recently omitted Shane Watson should be the all-rounder for that series.
Even off-spinner Nathan Hauritz, recalled for only his second Test and first in four years in Adelaide, performed well after a shaky start but the Aussies are likely to go with an all-pace attack for the first Test against South Africa in Perth, particularly