New-look England brace for Kiwi test

The first of the two-match Test series between England and New Zealand has begun on Wednesday at the iconic Lord's Cricket Ground in London.

New Zealand and England are two of the well-equipped teams to play on English soil and this series between the two sides should be a cracking one. With both teams having some exciting young players and different agendas but a keen eye for a win, expect some top-quality Test cricket over the next five days. England would want to take a step towards reinstating their dominance in the longest version of the game whereas it will be about getting well-prepared for New Zealand ahead of the World Test Championship finale against India later this month. The two sides last faced off in a Test series in 2019 in New Zealand, where the home side emerged as 1-0 victors. One can't look past how dominant the Black Caps have been in conditions favoring quicker bowlers. Kane Williamson's side have improved remarkably since enduring a 3-0 whitewash against Australia in early 2020. Although New Zealand has been denying taking this series as a preparation for the bigger picture, they will be looking to make the most of these two games ahead of World Test Championship challenge.

On the opposite, England will look to kick off their 2021 summer season with a win while checking their bench strength and giving some game time to their young talents through their rotation policy.  Joss Buttler, Jonny Bairstow, Chris Woakes, Moeen Ali have been rested for this series and a couple of young names have been called up. The hosts will also look for the perfect team combination for the Ashes later this year. Meanwhile, James Anderson has become used to rewriting the history books but even he accepts there is something “mind-blowing” about the next landmarks on his horizon. If the 38-year-old takes the field against New Zealand, he will equal Alastair Cook's England record of 161 Test caps, a quite remarkable feat for a fast bowler. “For a bowler to play this amount of games, I don't know what the word is, but it's a bit mind-blowing to me,” Anderson said. The match however could be interrupted by rain, with showers forecast on Days 3, 4 and 5.