In seven ODIs since, they are yet to win a single match, losing five and tying one (one no-result).
If they indeed want to register their first win across all formats in nearly two months, they need to view this fifth ODI in singularity and not as part of the already lost contest.
The fourth ODI at Seddon Park was a must-win game to keep the series alive, but India were not up to the mark. In a desperate bid to come back in the series, they made a plethora of changes, and most of them didn't work out as intended.
If the Wellington ODI is considered a one-off match, then the team think-tank will be able to address the various issues that have arisen in the last two limited-overs series that they have played here, and in South Africa previously.
There are many questions that need to be answered and as always it begins at the top.
In his post-match comments, after the fourth ODI loss, Dhoni had stated the need to "rest players and allow them time to think about their game", thus justifying the double-dropping of
Shikhar Dhawan and
Suresh Raina.
