Unlike the men's squad, which played intra-squad games in Southampton ahead of the WTC final, the women prepared only in the nets which might hurt them in the four-day game.
Nicholls was a part of the New Zealand team that thrashed India inside three days in two home Tests in early 2020, something that will give them confidence going into the final.
The 35-year-old has been a stalwart of the Test side since debuting in 2009 as an opener, going on to establish himself as a world-class keeper-batsman.
"It has been a year of refinement in the fire for us all. Uncertain were the times but they brought clarity for me in many aspects. My heart is clear and time is right to walk into a new chapter," du Plessis posted.
“It didn’t do anywhere near as much for 2 sessions ... Spun but not like what it’s doing now ... India would have drawn the first Test if they had batted anything like in the 1st innings ... This isn’t a good Test match pitch …,” he wrote
Comfortable series-clinching victory pushed the Kiwis to top of the heap as they became the sixth country in the past 10 years to be ranked number one in Test cricket
The Indian pace attack is likely to present a stiff challenge to the Aussies as only two of the nine batsmen in the current Test Australian squad Tim Paine and Travis Head have had the experience of playing both
