As the old No.3 reinforced he’s a rare vintage drop, the new one loomed as the first dropped.

The fortunes of Ricky Ponting and Shaun Marsh weren’t meant to be this way.

Ponting was on the wane, in danger of being run out of the Australian cricket team.

Marsh was on the rise, the heir apparent to the batting position Ponting made his own for more than a decade.

Supposedly.

But as Ponting delivered another Test ton, against India on Tuesday’s opening day of the fourth Test in searing Adelaide heat, Marsh again was swamped by failure.

On the day his father Geoff was reportedly readying to be sacked as Sri Lankan coach, Marsh hastened his own exit from the Australian Test team.

The left-hander missed an innocuous straight ball from Indian tweaker Ravi Ashwin and was bowled for three.

Marsh’s numbers make a compelling case for omission.

He has returned 17 runs against the Indians this series at the bunny-esque average of 3.40.

Since making 141 and 81 in his first two Test digs in Sri Lanka last September, Marsh has passed 18 just once.

His past six knocks have returned 0, 0, 3, 0, 11 and Tuesday’s 3.

The raw statistics point to the 28-year-old’s spot being untenable.

After all, the other Australian tried in the pivotal No.3 position, Usman Khawaja, was punted after a five-innings stretch of 23, 7, 0 not out, 38 and 65.

Marsh’s tenure challenges public support offered by Australian coach Mickey Arthur, an unabashed admirer of the son of Geoff.

“Shaun is a fantastic player who is going to score a lot of runs for Australia,” Arthur said a fortnight ago.

“He has been a little out of touch but form’s temporary – class is permanent. And Shaun certainly has a lot of class and is one that is definitely worth persevering with.”

But with vice-captain Shane Watson expected to return for Australia’s next Test assignments in the West Indies this April, Marsh faces the squeeze.

Watson, given new opener Ed Cowan’s solid if not spectacular form, could easily slot into Marsh’s No.3 spot in the Caribbean.

Or selectors could pitch the 37-year-old Ponting, who during his 41st Test ton on Tuesday became the third cricketer to pass 13,000 Test runs, back into the batting position he feels is his rightful home.