On the hottest ever day recorded in Sydney the heat was on England’s batsmen and two wilted under the pressure to be left worrying about their places on the tour to New Zealand.

Mark Stoneman and James Vince will learn over the next 24 hours if they will be granted more chances with the selectors due to meet after this Test to pick the squad for the two-Test New Zealand series in March.

James Whitaker, the chairman of selectors, left Australia at the weekend but not before gathering the thoughts of Trevor Bayliss, the head coach, and captain Joe Root.

Both are understood to want to be consistent and give Vince and Stoneman another opportunity in New Zealand but Whitaker will consult with fellow selectors, Mick Newell and Angus Fraser, at home in England before the final meeting over Skype with Bayliss and Root.

Of the two, Vince is the most vulnerable because his innings are stuck on a repeating loop, with some good strokes before the inevitable disappointing shot when set. The loose nature of his dismissals makes his situation look worse than Stoneman’s but he has been troubled by the short ball and that is a worry for any opener in Test cricket. Stoneman’s duck saw his average for the series fall to 25 while Vince is little better on 26.38.