Martin Devlin: We need to talk - What has gone so suddenly wrong with the Black Caps?

Scott Styris said it best last Sunday at Mount Maunganui.

It went something like: "Three games ago, New Zealand thought they knew who their best eleven was. As of now right now though, we really have no idea."

What the former Black Cap and Sky Sports commentator was simply and perfectly articulating is exactly what so very many of us are now also feeling.

A million questions and very few answers with just five one-day games left to figure it out before June's World Cup.

So what has gone so suddenly wrong? Or are we just being shown up by a side infinitely superior to ours?

Without doubt that is a major part of it.

India are to us what the All Blacks are to the Wallabies. If we played them 10 times we'd do well to win one, lucky to snatch two.

Fact is we have been caned in all three matches.

Henry Nicholls bats during game two of the One Day International Series between New Zealand and India. Photo / Getty

We have not even looked likely.

Our openers have failed, our run-chase has been chaotic, we have thrown wickets away, dropped catches, bowled poorly. You name it, we've been poor at it.

And now the selection dilemma.

Do you stick with those not performing in the hope they come right in the next two dead rubbers or do you make wholesale, dramatic changes and hope that some miracle quick-fix formula is found? Major problem being that, if we're honest, we don't have sufficient strength in depth to make a significant difference anyway.

No disrespect to our domestic game but doing well in the Super Smash bash crash lash nash mash is like saying you're playing well for the Breakers so next week you'll be heading to the NBA.

Truth is, to quote my mum, we're up S-Street without a shovel. We all know the equation, the difficulty being in finding a solution.

Thing is if we make the final four in England then none of this will matter much at all.

What does matter is making sure that in these next five games we can at least answer some of the questions people like Styris are quite rightly posing.