Australia must reshuffle their batting order if they lose patience with opener Cameron Bancroft, whose lean Test run has continued on a new continent, falling for five in South Africa.
Bancroft's stint at the crease in Durban, where Australia opted to bat first in the four-Test series opener, lasted only 20 balls and 25 minutes.
It ended in unconvincing fashion when the West Australian shuffled to the off side and prodded at a delivery from Vernon Philander which he could have left. Keeper Quinton de Kock gleefully accepted the resultant edge.
The failure will increase pressure on Bancroft, who has struggled at Test level since an excellent debut of 82 not out and stroking the winning runs at the Gabba.
The 25-year-old has failed to reach 30 in his past seven Test digs, managing a total of 97 runs at 13.85.
However, selectors have placed immense faith in Bancroft and it is unlikely he will be axed for the second Test against the Proteas.
With Peter Handscomb being the reserve batsman in the touring party, Shaun Marsh or Usman Khawaja would need to open if Bancroft was dropped.
Chairman of selectors Trevor Hohns, who was in the stands for Bancroft's underwhelming dismissal at Kingsmead, would be hesitant to force such a major rejigging of the order.
Despite Marsh opening for Australia in the past, his career-best form in the Ashes came when he shored up the middle order. Hohns would risk unsettling his panel's greatest success story of the summer.
Matthew Renshaw, having made way for Bancroft at the start of the Ashes, has posted centuries in his past two Sheffield Shield games but isn't part of the Test squad.
Bancroft enjoyed the backing of captain Steve Smith and coach Darren Lehmann after the Ashes.
"The more he plays, he's going to continue to improve and get better. If the selectors keep the faith - I hope they do - it will only be good for him and good for the group," Smith said after the 4-0 series win over England.
Lehmann noted at the same time that "we're pretty happy with him".
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