National selectors have broken the spin cycle that followed Shane Warne’s retirement, but another bedrock of Australian cricket is proving just as tricky to replace.

Against South Africa in Centurion, Nathan Lyon is playing his ninth consecutive Test on a pace-friendly pitch offering more bounce than turn.

It’s a sign of the faith the selection panel has in Lyon. He is an entrenched member of the team, and at age 26 may remain so for some time.

While Warne’s shadow no longer looms large over the Australia’s Test team, the same cannot be said of Ricky Ponting.

Ponting was a once in a generation player who offered much to the side, but above all reliability and runs at No.3.

The former skipper was at his best in the most important position in the order, a post he held until 2011 when he returned home from a tour of Sri Lanka for the birth of his child.

Shaun Marsh made a century on debut and remained at No.3 when Ponting returned for the third Test; the transition phase under new captain Michael Clarke was underway.

“It was a long-term plan of Michael’s to have Shaun move to No.3 and me move to No.4,” Ponting said shortly after the tour.

“So that wasn’t just … a one-off for that game.

“Michael sees that (line-up is) in the best interests of the team.”

Since then form and injury have conspired to make the position somewhat of a poisoned chalice.

Alex Doolan became the 11th man to bat at first drop since that tour of Sri Lanka when he made his debut in the first Test against the Proteas.

Doolan managed a score of 27 in his first audition to nail down the spot that fellow Launceston product Ponting made his own.

Like Ponting, who he worshipped as a child and batted alongside for Tasmania, he lived up to a reputation of being a classy batsman capable of dispatching good balls to the boundary on Wednesday.

Unlike Ponting, he looked far from the master of the pull shot and ended his knock prematurely.

But one innings will not define him.

And if Doolan can prosper in South Africa, against the best team in the world and their talented pace attack, then the comparisons with Ponting will only grow louder.