Jake Weatherald's Test hopes have suffered a blow, with the Tasmanian dismissed for a duck late on day one of the Sheffield Shield match against Victoria.
Teammate Beau Webster made a successful return from his rolled ankle, but the allrounder conceded he would likely be left out of the Test line-up if seen solely as a middle-order batsman.
After the home side lost the toss and were dismissed for 256 on Tuesday at Junction Oval, Weatherald and fellow opener Caleb Jewell had the tricky job of surviving two overs until stumps.
Weatherald lasted three balls before Mitch Perry squared him up and the left hander feathered an edge to wicketkeeper Sam Harper.
Nightwatchman Gabe Bell then negotiated the last three balls to stumps, leaving Tasmania 1-4.
As Australia's selectors consider the top order for next month's first Ashes Test, Weatherald had put himself in the conversation with three half centuries over the opening two Shield rounds.
"I don't envy the boys at the top, for that reason. We toyed with the idea of sending out a nightwatchman straight away, but both our openers, they wanted it," Webster said.
"That's just part of the game and comes with the territory as an opener, unfortunately.
"So disappointed to lose Weathers, who's been in sublime form, but you get another crack in the second dig."
Webster opened the bowling and took 1-26 from 12 overs in his first Shield game of the summer.
He admitted to being rusty, dropping a catch at first slip, but was pleased to be playing again.
"I'm stoked to be back out there - the body feels really good, the ankle feels really good," he said.
Selector George Bailey has confirmed Webster will be in the squad for the first Test in Perth, but the make-up of the XI is still well off being confirmed.
"If they see me as a pure middle-order batsman, then I'm probably going to get squeezed out," Webster conceded.
"I hope I'm still in the conversation certainly as a batter only. If not, if it's just the make-up of the team. I will plug away back in first-class cricket - there's a lot of Test cricket coming up.
"I certainly want to be there (Perth)."
Webster said Tuesday was "a bit of an even" first day.
Peter Handscomb top-scored with 48 and Oliver Peake made 46, with Fergus O'Neill contributing an important 35 not out. Webster's fellow opening bowler Gabe Bell and Riley Meredith took three wickets apiece.
"I was chomping to get back out there," Webster said.
"If I can sum my day up ... a few no-balls and a dropped catch at first slip. It probably felt like I was five-10 per cent off what I normally am.
"The boys aren't happy with me, dropping that one, but I managed to hold onto one. Fifty-fifty at best at the moment."
