Australia's gun quicks are fit and ready to fire in Sydney but the battle to keep them fresh throughout an unprecedentedly taxing year is only starting.
Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins are on track to play all four Tests against India, with the series finale starting in Sydney on Thursday.
Australia were forced to bowl on four consecutive days in Melbourne, a by-product of their top six's shortcomings with the bat, and Starc delivered just three overs in India's second innings of the third Test.
The left-armer, Hazlewood and Cummins are expected to be on restricted duties in comings days but there is currently nothing to suggest they will be forced to skip the fourth Test.
The three stars are, however, likely to be rested from Australia's three-match ODI series against India to ensure they are cherry ripe for the two-Test series against Sri Lanka, which starts in Brisbane on January 24.
The team's hectic schedule then involves ODI series in India and the UAE before a World Cup training camp and seemingly endless winter in England, where the frontline pacemen's fitness could make or break Australia's World Cup and Ashes defence.
"It's the great conundrum for us, how we manage our bowlers," Justin Langer said.
"We've got to be strong with that because there's going to be a lot of people with different opinions as to whether they should play every game.
"They want to play ... everyone else would be on our back (if they are rested from upcoming one-dayers).
"But we probably know it's really hard to play all year because they need to keep their bodies fresh and strong, and be bowling at the level we want them to."
Starc, Cummins and Hazlewood are all siting out this Indian Premier League, a decision Langer described as common sense.
"We're having a really long summer now, there's a small window for IPL then we've got four and a half months of World Cup and Ashes," he said.
"You can't take wickets in the rehab centre."
Cummins admitted after day three of the third Test he was feeling "pretty tired" and "pretty exhausted".
Cummins' career-best performance with bat and ball was one of few positives for Australia in their 137-run loss to India at the MCG, which handed the tourists a 2-1 series lead.
Cummins snared 6-27 in India's second innings then top-scored with 63 to push the contest into a fifth day.
