Last year's bowler of the summer Brett Lee may be hobbling into the sunset after he was ruled out of the rest of the South African series yesterday.
The most experienced bowler in the Australian line-up is on the verge of a stress fracture in his left foot and will need four to six weeks to recover. He may also miss the tour of South Africa in late February and March.
There had been doubts about Lee's future before the setback as he struggled to find pace or take wickets, although there is a suggestion that an extended layoff might be what he needs following an illness in India.
The Australian selectors now find themselves shuffling cards in the middle of one of the most competitive home series for decades, but seem as uncertain as Michael Hussey under a skied ball.
It is possible the side will now take the field in Sydney without three of its most senior players. Lee is gone, Andrew Symonds is struggling with an injured knee and Matthew Hayden's future is under a cloud.
Australia will certainly have the most inexperienced bowling attack in living memory, going into a game that may decide the series.
With Lee out, the bowlers will be lead by Mitchell Johnson who debuted last summer and has played only 17 Tests.
The other possible bowlers include fast bowler Peter Siddle (three Tests), spinner Nathan Hauritz (three Tests in four years) and either Doug Bollinger or Ben Hilfenhaus, fast bowlers who have never worn the baggy green.
If Symonds is dropped Shane Watson, with eight Tests to his name, would come into the side.
Lee did not take the field yesterday after pulling up sore on Saturday. Scans revealed swelling around the bone and it was decided to give him a fitness test in the morning, which he failed. He was sent for X-rays but they did not reveal any fractures.
Team physiotherapist Alex Kountouris said Lee would try to bowl in the second innings, which might break the bone, but he will not play in Sydney or the one-day series.
"It is on the way to being a stress fracture, it is not far off," Kountouris said. "At the moment the crack's not there, but it is not far away, it could be one ball away, it could be 10 balls away.
"I don't think he will be able to play the Sydney Test, we'll wait and see if he's got what we think he's got and if it's confirmed by scans then we will have to rest him, we will have to get a specialist's opinion, but it will be four to six weeks, I think."
Kountouris said that while the bone may break if Lee bowls in the second innings, some specialists believe the foot heals more quickly from a break than the condition it is in now.
Lee has been struggling since returning to the side for the Indian series. In eight Tests he has only taken more than three wickets in a game once and has 1-200 against South Africa in the three innings of the series.
Last year's Allan Border medallist lost strength and speed following a bout of giardia in India. The opening bowler hit 150km/h for the first time in months early in the first innings in Melbourne before slowing down later, apparently due to the foot injury.
Lee's injury might be have a silver lining for selectors who have stuck with the bowler despite his diminishing returns. However, the panel appears confused about what path it is taking.
NSW opening bowler Bollinger was taken to the West Indies and India but did not play. He took six wickets in his most recent outing for his state but was overlooked for this match when the selectors opted for Hilfenhaus in a 13-man squad before discarding him too.
Bollinger would have a home ground advantage at the SCG, but the selectors clearly have the Tasmanian Hilfenhaus ahead of him at the moment.
There has been an argument all summer that Watson, who played in India, should have been chosen ahead of Symonds.
The selectors knew that Symonds was injured coming into this game and may struggle to bowl, but gambled on him ahead of Watson. That appeared to backfire when Ricky Ponting was forced to use the part-time medium pace of Hussey early on the third morning.
It was not until the 125th over that the desperate captain gave the ball to Symonds who bowled 11 overs and risked further damage to his knee.
To add to the confusion, Kountouris confirmed later that the all-rounder could have bowled his off-spin at any stage in the game but that he was not really fit enough to bowl medium pace.
"Andrew's had a sore knee but he's going OK in this game," he said. "He's not in a lot of pain, I think he's a bit hesitant because he got quite sore in the last game."
His possible replacement, Watson, bowled well in India where he took 10 wickets at 32 but struggled with the bat.
If Symonds and Lee were ruled out it would add to the argument to retain the struggling Hayden if only to keep one more wise head in the rooms.
- PETER LALOR