The failure of Australia's batsmen to combat the swinging ball against New Zealand has left the tournament favourite one false turn away from a nightmare path to the World Cup final.
Australia's clash with Sri Lanka in Sydney on Sunday is suddenly shaping as a crunch match for Michael Clarke's side. A slip up against the 2011 finalists will most likely consign Australia to a third-place finish in pool A, placing them on a collision cause with South Africa in the quarter-finals.
And it gets worse. They would then have to travel across the Tasman again for a semi-showdown with the supercharged Kiwis.
Such a scenario seemed unlikely after Australia slaughtered England on Valentine's Day but the washout against Bangladesh caused by the remnants of Cyclone Marcia, followed by the weekend's defeat, has dramatically changed the landscape.
But victory against Sri Lanka would present a far smoother passage to the March 29 decider at the MCG. That would leave Australia likely to play the West Indies or Pakistan, though a date with Ireland or even Zimbabwe is not out of the question given the tight nature of that group.
While Australia nearly got out of jail thanks to the heroics of Mitchell Starc, their performance against Trent Boult and, to a lesser extent, Tim Southee dredged up some old demons.
Australia's one-day batting has in recent months proved close to unstoppable on favourable decks but question marks remain when conditions assist the bowlers and they cannot swing freely through the line.
Australia's capitulation for 47 in Cape Town in 2011 remains the mother of all collapses, followed closely by the 74 against Sri Lanka in a one-dayer at the Gabba in January 2013. The destroyer on that occasion, Nuwan Kulasekara, is still part of the Sri Lankan set-up.
Even under Darren Lehmann's successful reign, they have remained vulnerable, most recently in Port Elizabeth last year when they unravelled against Dale Steyn, surrendering 10-90 to lose the second Test.
Shane Warne, commentating on Saturday's match at Eden Park, was worried by the nature of Australia's dismissals, which included four players bowled and another lbw.
"It's the collapse and the way they were getting out today which is the concern for me," Warne said. "Yes, you have to give all credit to New Zealand, they were fantastic and bowled well, but it wasn't hooping around corners or seaming around. The amount of bowleds there is a concern."
Former New Zealand captain Stephen Fleming believes the Australians were guilty of going "too hard too early".
"And rather than their middle order looking to sit in when wickets began to go down, too many of the batsmen went looking for run-scoring opportunities before getting set," Fleming said.
Respected batting coach Trent Woodhill, who has worked with New Zealand and Pakistan and is David Warner's batting mentor, said Australia's batsmen were committing to their shots too early. Such a trait is why Warner and captain Michael Clarke were "comfortably Australia's two best players of swing bowling", Woodhill said.
"If you're right-handed and commit to the ball too early, your right shoulder and right hip release," Woodhill said. "That means you're front on to the bowler on impact. We hear the term squared-up. That's what happens, and the bat face will be a good couple of feet away from the body. What they both do well is they play late. The others are moving from the release. Their brain goes click, top of off, then it's top of fourth stump and there's the edge."
