Glenn McGrath's withdrawal from the tri-series finals starting in Adelaide on Friday has left Australia relying on fast bowler Brett Lee and an unproven support cast.
It's a glimpse into the future of life for Australian cricket after the retirement of the veteran seamer McGrath, who turns 36 on Thursday.
McGrath, whose wife Jane is battling cancer for a third time, has ruled himself out of the tri-series one-day finals.
Lee's ferocious pace bowling on Sunday night, in removing South African skipper Graeme Smith caught behind for six in the third over, has underlined that he is Australia's most potent attacking weapon.
It was Lee's 15th wicket in the series.
McGrath has taken just four scalps in five matches, but significantly his economy rate is 3.58-runs per over, a mark not bettered by any other frontline Australian bowler in the series.
Spinner Brad Hogg (seven wickets in six games) is Australia's second-leading wicket-taker in the series behind Lee before Sunday night's match, alongside left-armer Nathan Bracken (seven in four matches).
It is Bracken who is the logical replacement for McGrath as the new-ball bowler and indeed the NSW paceman opened from the Paddington end with Lee as Australia defended its 6-344.
The super-tall West Australian seamer Brett Dorey, who has taken 1-134 in three games and was not selected, shows some promise but perhaps is more a Test prospect.
South Australian slinger and Ashes tourist Shaun Tait is another who may win a recall and the bigger issue for Australia's selectors is not the one-day series finals but the upcoming tour of South Africa.
Australia will depart Sydney airport on February 20 for five one-dayers and three Tests, and McGrath must surely be in some doubt to make the trip.
Queenslander Michael Kasprowicz and long-haired South Australian Jason Gillespie, both dumped during Australia's ill-fated Ashes campaign last year, will also come under consideration.
The sticking point for bowlers like Bracken and NSW team-mate Stuart Clark is how they perform when asked to play as frontline bowlers rather than sheltering behind the ever-reliable McGrath.
South Africa has discovered to its cost what the loss of frontliners like Shaun Pollock, Makhaya Ntini, Andre Nel and all-rounder Jacques Kallis can mean to your bowling attack, as shown by Australia's 6-344, the home team's highest-ever score against the Proteas.
But McGrath clearly must focus on the home front and the strength of Australia's bowling attack must be the least of his concerns.
McGrath missed matches on Friday and on Sunday against South Africa and has moved to end speculation that he would return for best-of-three finals series.
"Glenn McGrath today advised the National Selection Panel chairman Trevor Hohns that he would not be available for selection for the finals of the VB series," Cricket Australia said in a statement.
Hohns said Cricket Australia fully supported the veteran NSW bowler's decision.
"Glenn has decided that he needs to be with his family in the immediate future and we completely support that decision," Hohns said.
"Our thoughts are with Glenn and Jane at what is a very difficult time."
McGrath is yet to announce if he is available for the South African tour.