Australia's David Warner dilemma is set to continue into the summer after his latest wasted start at The Oval left selectors with a decision to make before December.
Warner was out for 24 on day one at The Oval on Thursday, the only man to fall as Australia went to stumps at 1-61 in reply to England's 283.
His innings summed up the opener's series - another start, another time out edging outside off stump to a swinging ball.
In his 11 innings since announcing his plan to retire at the SCG in January, Warner has been dismissed five times between 20 and 40.
There have been four single-figure failures along the way, a hard-fought 43 against India in the World Test Championship Final and a crucial 66 against England at Lord's.
All of Warner's dismissals have come against quicks, most in the corridor outside off stump.
Warner has been caught behind four times, edged to slip on three occasions and twice chopped on from outside off.
The other two have been from the ball nipping back from Josh Tongue at Lord's, bowled between bat and pad once and trapped lbw the other time.
Warner had said before the start of the series he wanted to be getting out while attacking, rather than being defensive as he was in 2019.
Asked about his form this week, the left-hander was adamant he had followed through on that plan.
"I've been in good positions. I'm looking to score. I've had a couple of unlucky dismissals," Warner said on Tuesday.
"And then ones where I've tried to negate the swing or the seam and it's caught the outside edge of the bat.
"If I look at the dismissal against Chris Woakes in the first innings (at Old Trafford), that one seams. If it doesn't seam it hits the middle of the bat and that's what happens in this game.
"I would have been disappointed if I went forward to that and just tried to defend it."
Australia's selectors must now answer their hardest question before the first Test against Pakistan in Perth on December 14, unless Warner gets the chance to put on a big score in the second innings.
But at the rate this Test is going, it's possible Warner might not have the chance to do that.
One-day form may still come into the decision though given Warner still has a role to play in the World Cup in India before the Pakistan Test series.
The 36-year-old has continually made the kind of starts that promise a big score is not far away without ever making a statement that locks in selection through to January.
