South African pace spearhead Dale Steyn has upped the ante in psychological warfare with Australia prior to their home Test series suggesting uncapped opener Phillip Hughes would be under pressure to fill in the boots of Matthew Hayden.

The super-fast Steyn, South Africa's leading wicket-taker last year, said Hughes would be subjected to a similar kind of pressure to which David Warner went through when he replaced Hayden at the top of the batting order in one-dayers.