They reached a summit no team had reached before, but the way down is becoming treacherous.

The Black Caps of 2022 are not the team of 2021. Not the team that arm-wrestled India in a battle at Southampton and won.

This team has always been imperfect - the Australian tour debacle of 2020 evidence enough of that, but the reliable ones of the side are going backwards.

Apart from two in the middle order.

A rebuild seems necessary - are the right pieces in the right places, are the Black Caps attacking enough or too conservative?

And for Heaven's sake can we learn to please bowl a spinner?

The Black Caps went into this series a good chance of a series victory, they'll come home whitewashed.

They climbed to the top, but sometimes you don't know what you've got til it’s gone.