Heads will not roll, questions won't be asked by the men who count and an eerie sense of camaraderie will prevail in Indian cricket following the ignominious and hideous series whitewash at the Wankhede on Sunday.

The batting line-up, led by Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, will remain at the centre of the storm after both the stalwarts continued their below-par performance in the series.

Age is just a number but even the fittest of players can slow down. The pull once again proved to be Rohit's undoing, while Kohli fell victim to Ajaz Patel by not stretching enough to reach the pitch of the ball.

Have they played their last Test on home soil? Rohit and Kohli are on the wrong side of their 30s and the Wankhede defeat has brutally exposed a team in transition.

The 46 all out in Bengaluru wasn't an aberration and their pathetic display right through the series proves that their skill set is fast diminishing. Rohit's confidence seems shaken and Kohli's footwork against spinners has lost its charm.

The captain has 91 runs in three Tests compared to Kohli's 93. Kohli has an average around 20 at home and only once has he crossed 40 during the last four years. That too courtesy a century on a benign Ahmedabad pitch where sacrificing one's wicket was difficult.

Rohit fared slightly better but aggregates a mere 533 runs in 10 Tests this year. His average of 28.05 is the lowest in a calendar year since he started opening in the format in 2019.

It's not that both Rohit and Kohli are immune to the demands of the game. Even Sachin Tendulkar went without a century in his last 23 Tests while Virender Sehwag was never the same dashing opener once he had problems with his eyesight.

Did a sense of complacency creep into the team ranks? The players couldn't be blamed if there was a feeling of invincibility considering New Zealand's listless show in Sri Lanka and the proven performers in their line-up.

Winning a Test in two days against Bangladesh following the euphoria of their T20 World Cup triumph in the West Indies almost meant that Tom Latham's men would be easy prey in tailormade conditions.

But a top-order collapse has left a blemish on the careers of some of the big names of this era. India are in danger of missing out on the WTC final spot now. Only a 4-0 scoreline in Australia could prove to be enough.

The perception that Rohit and Kohli would excel on the fast and bouncy Australian wickets can no longer be taken at face value. Will the disappointment spur them to achieve new goals and attempt another shot at the WTC title for one last time?

Can they defeat the demons of failure which will sow the seeds of doubts in their minds? Mental coach Paddy Upton, who worked with Mahendra Singh Dhoni's team during the 2011 World Cup, believes that even the best of athletes are not immune to the fear of failure.

Upton has said that when senior players get emotional about mistakes, it can increase such fear, which is one of the biggest mental obstacles to success.

There will be endless sessions in the nets to prepare for the big challenge. Sometimes trying too hard isn't enough to erode disappointments. The series in Australia will clear many such lingering doubts.