It's not just the series on the line in the second cricket test but careers too, as Australia chase redemption after a horror few months.
Steve Smith's new-look team that began so promisingly 12 months ago is on the verge of being dismantled and returned back to the Sheffield Shield if there is no sign of improvement in Hobart.
Adam Voges is batting for his baggy green in Hobart and so is Mitchell Marsh – if he is given a reprieve. It's also a golden opportunity for Joe Burns to stake his claim for the opener's berth after missing the last two tests.
An impressive last summer for Australia is a distant memory for allrounder Mitchell Marsh.
MICHAEL DODGE/GETTY IMAGES
An impressive last summer for Australia is a distant memory for allrounder Mitchell Marsh.
Such is the uncertainty around the team and the weather forecast, the Australians departed from their recent practice of finalising their XI on the eve of the match. The last time they waited until the last minute was in Trent Bridge in 2015, when Australia was skittled for 60 and the Ashes were lost.
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Voges will play after being passed fit. After cashing in last summer, the runs have dried up for the late bloomer, who needs a big score to book a ticket to Adelaide.
The hosts' selection query is whether Marsh plays. The major factors determining his fate are the weather and the need to reduce the pressure on strike weapons Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood.
Both quicks are coming off huge workloads in the heavy defeat in Perth with concerns that Starc is "red lining" after his limited preparation.
Marsh's seam bowling would provide Australia cover if any of their quicks were to break down. If he did get the nod there would be no baggy green for South Australian batsman Callum Ferguson. Marsh could be dropped down the order from six to seven.
"We'll wait and see with that one," captain Steve Smith said.
Marsh's hopes of playing would plummet should the heavy rain forecast over the weekend arrive Saturday morning and limit the amount of play possible. That would reduce the need for Marsh's seamers, paving the way for Ferguson to debut.
Another scenario, though unlikely, is if Australia field an all-pace attack with Marsh as the fourth quick at the expense of spinner Nathan Lyon.
"I've never done it in my stint as captain, I'm not really sure that's the way we're thinking," Smith said.
"Obviously, we'll wait and see what happens in the morning with the weather. You might not need to have that extra bowling option if there is going to be lots of rain around and the bowlers are going to get some adequate rest with that.
"There are possibilities that we could go in with six genuine batsmen." Marsh, clearly, is not seen in that light.
The pressure building within the Australian camp is in marked contrast to the confidence of the Proteas, who are on the verge of playing their first test in 12 years without champion pair AB de Villiers and Dale Steyn.
"Everyone looked at ourselves [before the tour] and said we really need to up our game to try and make sure you put on performances that can be AB de Villiers-like," du Plessis said.
"That's what happened previous game when Dale went down. He's a guy that gets a lot of five-wicket hauls for us. With him missing out, Kagi [Kagiso Rabada] came in and did that.
"It's great to see guys can step in when eventually this team will go through another transition period – that's really important. Our team is really well-balanced with young and older guys, but the more we play together as a test team the better we will get because we're still quite inexperienced as a test team."
The Proteas are weighing up whether to pick Morne Morkel or Kyle Abbott as the fourth seamer while there is also talk spinner Keshav Maharaj will be left out to accommodate both quicks.
AT A GLANCE
Australia (likely): David Warner, Joe Burns, Usman Khawaja, Steve Smith (c), Adam Voges, Mitch Marsh, Peter Nevill, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Joe Mennie, Nathan Lyon.
South Africa (likely): Stephen Cook, Dean Elgar, Hashim Amla, JP Duminy, Faf du Plessis (c), Temba Bavuma, Quinten de Kock, Vernon Philander, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada, Kyle Abbott.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/cricke...utures-on-line-against-south-africa-in-hobart
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