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New Zealand will go into the inaugural World Test Championship (WTC) final clash against India at the Rose Bowl in Southampton next week brimming with confidence after winning a series against England for the first time since 1999.
"It's a fantastic achievement from the group. I think it's important that we celebrate with each other. It (winning a Test series in England) hasn't been done since '99. For us to come here as a group, it was about trying to play our brand of cricket and I thought we did that really well over the four days and got our rewards at the end," stand-in skipper Tom Latham said at the end of the match.
The Kiwis made as many as six changes for this match and their dominant display underlined the superb depth in their squad. Many of these players are expected to return ahead of the WTC final, however, and here are the top five players who could lead New Zealand to victory.
1. Tom Latham
In Tom Latham, New Zealand have found a reliable opening batter. The left-hander has the patience, temperament and appetite to score runs at the highest level and will look to grind it out against an excellent Indian attack.
His record against India is not exactly ground-shattering; in 6 matches, he has aggregated 345 runs at an average of 31. However, form and past records seldom count in a final and Latham will hope to set the tone at the top for the Kiwis in the WTC summit clash.
2. Kane Williamson
Kane Williamson missed out on the second Test against England, but is expected to be fit to lead New Zealand in Southampton for the WTC final. As always, he will be the Kiwis' go-to man while batting and his assured captaincy will also be vital.
Against India, Williamson has scored 728 runs in 11 matches, and will look to record his third century against Kohli's men to win his nation their first ever major tournament.
3. Henry Nicholls
Henry Nicholls's exploits often go under the radar, but he has been a prolific run-scorer for New Zealand in the middle-order in recent times. He follows an uncomplicated approach to batting and will look to stick it out at one end.
He averages 43 in Test matches and will go into the WTC final after scoring some important runs against England. He will also be determined to improve his record against India (61 runs in 3 Tests) and the stage is set for the left-hander to make an impression.
4. Kyle Jamieson
The start to Kyle Jamieson's Test match career has been nothing but prolific. In 7 matches so far, he has picked up 39 wickets at a barely believable average of 15, and has been a revelation for the No.1 ranked Test side.
He tormented the Indian batting order in their last series in New Zealand as well, where he picked up nine wickets at an average of 16. The curator of Southampton has promised a bouncy wicket for the WTC final and this will certainly benefit Jameison who could cause plenty of problems for the Indian batting contingent.
5. Trent Boult
Having missed out on the first Test against England, Trent Boult was back in business at Edgbaston. The left-arm pacer picked up six wickets, including a four-wicket haul in the first innings.
India's top order is filled with right-handed batsmen and they will need to be wary of the Dukes ball swinging back in from Boult. He is the leader of an impressive Kiwi attack that also consists of Tim Southee, Neil Wagner and Jamieson, and will be a massive threat to the Indian batting order.
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