There you have it, then. Sri Lanka have another win against abject opposition, Daniel Vettori has again proved that he is the only thing standing between New Zealand and the bottom of the ICC Test Championship and the spinners have accounted for a veritable glut of the wickets to fall during a series on the sub-continent. All pretty predictable really, but what else can the Kiwis take - if anything - from their losses in Galle and Colombo...?

Martin Guptill and Tim McIntosh seem as good as it'll get on an opening batsmen front. The former's calculated aggression a suitable foil to the latter's dogged advance, the duo have done well enough to put a provisional cap on the country's endless list of substandard openers and - with stringent nurturing - coach Andy Moles must foster 22-year-old Guptill's discipline at the top of the knock if New Zealand hope not to end up turning to Craig Cumming and the like again.

Daniel Flynn needs to ask some hard questions of himself if he hopes to continue his role as New Zealand's Test number three. Ross Taylor - currently batting at four - is ripe for the picking at first drop - and if Flynn's latest series is anything to go by, Taylor is in for a promotion. Prior to arrival in Sri Lanka, the 24-year-old professed that he was up to the task and hoped to make the berth his own once and for all. That has failed to transpire and a series average of under 20 speaks volumes of his failure to turn the talk into walk. The next Stephen Fleming he'll arguably never be, but his personal drawing board would do well to revolve around his approach to the swing bowlers.

Jacob Oram has got to go, from the five-day format at least. Passing him off as a Test match all-rounder is no longer feasible. Twenty20 competition is perfect for his contribution - a couple of trundled overs and a decent effort down the order - but the Kiwi Test XI deserve a player of better fitness: Brendan Diamanti, Kyle Mills, James Franklin, etc...

Jeetan Patel has a long way to go before he can consider himself a topflight spin bowler. Gifted conditions perfect for spin and bounce, he failed to produce either on a consistent basis and proved every bit the second fiddle he is to Daniel Vettori. His last-gasp four-for in the SSC's first innings and token scalps ahead of the declaration on Saturday serve as little consolation to his inability to take key wickets or at least string together a spell void of 'four' balls. Yes, Mahela Jayawardene and company are veritable machines when it comes to playing spin at home, but that's no excuse for a man four years and three stints on the sub-continent into his career.

Chris Martin - handed the tough task of fronting a pace attack on the sub-continent - performed affably upon his return to the international fold and could hardly have asked for better specs - five wickets, 43.40 average - given the trying conditions. He performed tirelessly where Iain O'Brien and Oram wilted, and will surely partner Shane Bond with the new ball the next time New Zealand face a Test engagement.

Meanwhile, it's over to the Compaq Cup, during which the hosts, Kiwis and India get to thrash it out in a format Daniel Vettori's men have always posed a threat in. But here's wondering if a third Test rather than a couple of token one-dayers wouldn't have been a better bet for the tourists, who now face a lengthy wait before next availed the opportunity to refine their five-dayer skills...