A big score went begging for NSW young gun Sam Konstas and Steve Smith went cheaply again, adding to the loud chatter around the Australian top order.
Alex Carey's brilliant unbeaten Sheffield Shield century for South Australia on Tuesday was a welcome exception ahead of the India series after three days where Konstas and several other candidates flubbed their auditions for the Test batting vacancy.
And Smith might be revisiting his plan to miss the next Shield game, courtesy of an lbw dismissal at the MCG that had him fuming.
As the bowlers continued to dominate on day three of the Shield match at the MCG, Konstas had backed up his two in the first innings with a watchful knock.
Victorian captain Peter Handscomb dropped him in the slips on 23 off impressive Test understudy Scott Boland, but otherwise the 19-year-old looked settled.
Then the delivery after hitting a boundary off Todd Murphy, Konstas had a teenager's rush of blood.
He went down the track to the offspinner and top-edged to Campbell Kellaway, who took an excellent diving catch at point for 43.
"He applied himself, obviously, really well ... apart from the shot he got out on. I'm sure he'll be kicking himself on that one," said teammate Mitchell Starc.
After his two Shield tons against SA, Konstas needed another big score at the MCG to confirm he's a selection bolter for the first Test.
Instead, Konstas will be left to regroup ahead of the upcoming Shield clash against Queensland - NSW's last game before players go into camp for the five-Test series against India.
Meanwhile, Smith vehemently shook his head in frustration after he left a Boland delivery that swung in late and clipped his pad.
Given how well Boland was bowling, it was a risky decision that sent Smith back to the rooms for a fourth-ball duck.
"It only has to hit the stumps when you don't use your bat like that, so, yeah," said Boland, who was sure it was out.
Speaking after Monday's play, Smith had said he would probably not play in the Blues' next Shield game.
The home game from November 1 against Queensland clashes with the one-day series against Pakistan.
Starc took 6-81 in Victoria's second innings as the home side set a victory target of 383. NSW were 6-185 at stumps, chasing another 198 runs for an unlikely victory on day four.
"It's been a while between red-ball games and I nearly got the 40 overs - probably more than the people off the field would like," the Test quick said.
"The little things I've been trying to groove, they feel like they're coming together. Hopefully that translates into some good stuff throughout the summer."
Also on Tuesday, Carey (123 not out) continued his strong pre-Test form with an unbeaten century against Queensland at Allan Border Field in Brisbane.
The wicketkeeper boasts two tons and another score of 90 from four knocks for South Australia so far this summer, averaging 122 with the bat ahead of the series against India.
