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THIS is the downside of stability. Ryan Harris has bowled himself to a standstill and Shane Watson is moving like a bullock dray.
Naming the same side in four successive Tests for the first time in almost a decade has given Australia an unexpected look of certainty and confidence levels have gone through the roof with each emphatic victory.
But the last Test in Sydney is a bridge too far.
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Five Tests in six weeks is an enormous ask, particularly for the bowlers, and this side cannot remain intact.
The plan has always been to rest Ryan Harris in Sydney next week following just a three-day turnaround from Melbourne and Saturday produced ample evidence why.
The limp from his dodgy knee has become more pronounced with each passing day and his pace has dropped off a little.
If Harris was to try and play at the SCG next week he would need the postman's motorbike.
On the opening day England managed just two scoring shots off Harris in his eight overs to lunch, and one of them was an edge.
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On Saturday the first three deliveries in England's second innings were all picked off for runs.
Carrying an obvious groin problem, Watson's few overs on Saturday were delivered at Shane Warne flipper pace and the all-rounder was a liability in the field.
There is simply no way Watson can play in Sydney either if he's going to move like that.
How many changes the selectors make and who fills those spots will be intriguing, with the heavy duty tour of South Africa little more than a month away.
If a common sense approach is taken at the selection table now the Ashes have been well and truly won, Harris and Watson should be put on ice until then, lest they do any more damage to their battered bodies.
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The first inclusion should be this summer's permanent 12th man, bowling all-rounder James Faulkner.
Whether he comes in as a straight swap for Harris or the selectors push Brad Haddin to six and include Faulkner as the all-rounder at seven will be a matter of some debate.
In his only Test, at The Oval last August, Faulkner played as the all-rounder with four specialist bowlers during a typically feisty debut.
That would mean dropping George Bailey, who is the least performed of Australia's batsmen this summer and needs something special in Australia's second innings to be sure of holding his place.
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Given stability has been such a key to Australia's success this summer the selectors will be keen to keep changes to a minimum but it is also a chance to look at players ahead of South Africa.
With Watson likely to be missing Australia will need a new number three and the obvious candidate is Alex Doolan, although his form tapered off after a strong start for Tasmania this season.
And he hasn't played red ball cricket for three weeks because of the Sheffield Shield hiatus that makes room for the Big Bash.
Doug Bollinger and Nathan Coulter-Nile have been on standby for the past two Tests, with Coulter-Nile inching towards a Test debut.
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