Australia's first-choice XI for the Twenty20 World Cup is no clearer after a final-over loss to South Africa in Durban.
The three-match T20 series against the Proteas is the last chance for coach Darren Lehmann and on-duty selector Mark Waugh to experiment before the World Cup starts in India.
Shane Watson, Josh Hazlewood and James Faulkner were left out of the side for the series opener.
All three are a good chance of featuring in Australia's World Cup opener on March 18, against New Zealand in Dharamsala.
Waugh noted Watson was still restricted by a recent abdominal strain but should play the next two games in South Africa.
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David Warner batted at first drop in Durban, the first time he hasn't opened in a career that has spanned 55 T20 internationals.
Warner was listed to bat at No.4 but entered the fray following the dismissal of Usman Khawaja, with Australia keen to keep a right-hander and left-hander at the crease early on.
"I think that's all it was today," Aaron Finch said.
"It's nice to have that option, always making the bowler change.
"Davey has batted there in the middle order quite a bit in India in the IPL, it's not something he's uncomfortable with."
If selectors persist with Warner at No.3 or No.4 then it means Finch, Khawaja and Shane Watson are locked in an intriguing selection battle at the top of the order, although Watson could be slotted into the middle order.
"In the Big Bash he bowled well and then for Australia in the T20s against India he was actually our best bowler," Waugh said while commentating for SuperSport.
"He would have played today except he had a stomach strain so we just wanted to make sure that he was fully fit.
"He'll play in the last two games."
Finch insisted he felt no extra pressure walking out to bat knowing he was part of a selection squeeze.
"If you start thinking about that you go away from your natural game," the fit-again opener said.
"If you're under pressure it just adds to a bit of fun."
Finch called Watson the "ultimate T20 cricketer", adding that the 15-man squad knew the XI would change throughout the ongoing tune-up series.
"Guys probably will get shuffled around a little bit but that's fine," he said.
"Everyone's open to that and (finding out) whatever the best make-up of the XI is going forward to win a game, I think that's all we can hope for."
