Australian coach Darren Lehmann declared under-performing players would be fighting for their careers in next week's fifth Ashes Test at The Oval.
Some may be lucky to even get that chance, with captain Michael Clarke and Chester-le-Street centurion Chris Rogers the only certainties to play according to the frustrated coach.
Lehmann intimated at several possible changes.
If Shane Watson doesn't fully recover from injury and isn't fit to bowl in London, there's no guarantee he'll be picked as a specialist batsman, while Ryan Harris and Peter Siddle could be rested after enduring heavy workloads.
Lehmann admitted his team choked in losing by 74 runs, after being in a winning position at 1-147 chasing 299.
As a result, Usman Khawaja and Steve Smith would appear the players most under pressure.
The new coach is enduring a baptism of fire and said his squad was on notice that futures would go on the line at The Oval.
"Yep. There is nothing wrong with that," Lehmann told reporters.
"We don't earn the right to play for Australia. You have to perform to a level that's acceptable to everyone in our team, and also the Australian public and the media.
"At the moment we're not doing that so blokes have to perform to a level that we expect.
"From (1-147) we should have got them quite comfortably.
"I think the big thing for us is we've got to make sure they're learning ... if they don't learn, we'll have to change ... and find blokes that will.
"That's a simple fact of cricket and results."
Australia are trying to avoid going down as the worst touring side in Ashes history, with no team having ever lost four Tests in a series on English soil.
Captain Clarke conceded after the match that there may not be the depth in Australian cricket at the moment to justify mass changes ahead of the return Ashes series in the summer.
Clarke pointed to the lack of first-class runscorers.
But Lehmann has stated there's a few players on his radar.
He's confident Australia can build their batting stocks up and improve the quality of the XI chosen.
"I look on the positive side and yes I do believe that. What they've got to do is learn the game very quickly," Lehmann said.
"Our blokes have the skills to play the game, it's actually learning the game quickly and knowing what to do and when to do it.
"We need to learn that. Winning becomes a habit."
Lehmann said the positive was the opening partnership of 109 put on by Rogers and David Warner and the promise their combination shows for the summer.
"Warner was very good today. I was very impressed with him and Rogers has been probably the find of the tour for us," he said.
"The way he has gone about it and his demeanour off the field and what he brings to the playing group as an experienced player."
