Travis Head has joined Pat Cummins in conceding tje Australians aren't batting well as a unit, with damning figures showing how often they are relying on one player to save them.
The Australians touched down on Friday ahead of Tuesday's deciding Test against South Africa, before training at Newlands on Saturday afternoon.
Multiple career-defining calls may be made in coming days, with Nic Maddinson, Beau Webster and Marnus Labuschagne all facing scrutiny.
Cameron Green and Josh Inglis are set to be available again after injuries, with Cooper Connolly also a chance of coming in.
A squeeze also looms for the four quicks and Nathan Lyon after Scott Boland's efforts at St George's Park.
But the biggest concerns remain around the batting, which routinely misfired in the 16 months leading up to Wednesday's calamitous 13-wicket day and a 99 all out.
Australia have now been in a worse spot than 4-100 in 13 of their past 23 Test innings, with nine of those occasions seeing Australia 4-80 or worse.
Through that run, dating back to last June, only once have two Australians scored centuries in the same innings. Otherwise, one player has done most of the saving.
Cummins pointed to those issues as a problem after Thursday's innings-and-31-run defeat in Gqeberha, with his vice-captain Head backing that point.
"It's always been sort of one individual at a time, and we haven't been able to get that collective," Head said.
"A little bit more supportive roles around that would go a long way. We just haven't been able to find that.
"Something the team has been really good at over a long period of time is being able to build big substantial partnerships that win games of cricket.
"We just haven't been able to find that in the last couple of months."
Head, whose second-innings 121 was a bright spot on the final day of the loss, joined coach Andrew McDonald in stressing the past week did not make Australia a bad side.
"It's pretty clear on what we got wrong. We had a pretty shithouse day (on Wednesday). It's as simple as that," Head said.
What Australia do next with their batting remains crucial.
The first quandary will be around who opens with Head, with Maddinson almost certain to go after two ducks and one score above 10 since his shock recall in Durban.
Matt Renshaw looms as an option to return to the top from No.5, but Labuschagne has been used there before and could theoretically be an option if still in the side.
Australia have made no secret of their frustration around Labuschagne's second-innings dismissal in Gqeberha and run of wasted scores in the 30s
But they do believe he is still hitting the ball well and getting through the toughest periods, with it possible he could hold on for one more Test.
Green's likely return will at least mean Australia have a player aged under 30 back in their side, with the past two Tests the first time in history they haven't had one.
Age remains a talking point, with Head acknowledging selectors could either go for older heads, or skip a generation to the likes of Sam Konstas, Oliver Peake or Campbell Kellaway.
But he insisted the fact Australia had often gone with older players such as Maddinson to come in during this series was the sign of a good Test team.
"The times that we haven't been strong over 10 or 15 years, you've seen younger players come in," Head said.
"The times you've seen strong Australian cricket teams, you've seen older guys come in. I think it's a by-product of how strong a Test team is.
"It's great we've got a strong Test team. It's great that means that we know our next guys in are hardened first-class cricketers.
"We've had a shit week … but selections show we're trying to slot guys in to continue to be world No.1."