Kallis wants better start by SA

South Africa's stand-in captain Jacques Kallis is more worried about another slow start than about complacency ahead of the third Test against Australia. 

Kallis, who is standing in for the injured Graeme Smith, said South Africa has struggled during the first two days in the previous two Tests. Australia leads the three-match series 2-0. 

"We've not been complacent, I think we've been outplayed," Kallis said. "Australia turned it around against us in Sydney (in January). We have to take note of what they did in Sydney. We have to do that here." 

Like coach Mickey Arthur on Tuesday, Kallis tried to downplay talks of tensions among the South Africa players after a series of squad changes and Ashwell Prince's captaincy being withdrawn a day after it was announced. 

"I think it's been a bit overblown," Kallis said, adding that Prince had voluntarily decided to give up the captaincy. "I have no issue with Prince. We have had a chat. The guys respect his point of view and they respect it that I have taken over." 

On the field, South Africa will likely have to modify how their attack operates in the third Test. The one new bowler the Proteas are expected to select is right-arm seamer Albie Morkel, who will replace his younger brother Morne. 

Kallis said the elder Morkel would bowl to contain more than attack, although Arthur said on Tuesday that the Test debutante could be a useful practitioner swinging the ball back into the Australian left-handers, an area where the Proteas attack had struggled in the first two Tests in Johannesburg and Durban. 

The level of attack from various bowlers will depend on the game situation, Kallis said. 

He added that the team had worked on new plans to counter the effectiveness of rookie opener Phillip Hughes, who scored two centuries against them in the Durban Test. 

"We are keen to try to win the series 3-0," Australia captain Ricky Ponting said. "The last few weeks our standards of Test cricket have been very high, and we don't want that to drop off. We must remember the things that have made us play at the levels of cricket we have done." 

Australia could consider playing off-spinner Nathan Hauritz or leg-spinner Bryce McGain at Newlands, especially if middle-order batsman Marcus North fails to recover from gastroenteritis. 

"Spinners have done okay at Newlands but they have had to do hard work, so I don't know," Ponting said.