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England take on New Zealand in the first Test of a two-match series starting on Wednesday, June 2, at the Lord's Stadium in London. For New Zealand, it looks like the ideal preparation for the WTC Final later in the month. The Kiwis will look to make the most of these two games to acclimatize to the conditions and get their team combination right.
Meanwhile, for England, Test regulars and multi-format players like Sam Curran, Moeen Ali, Chris Woakes, Jos Buttler, and Jonny Bairstow have all been rested for this tour after completing their mandatory quarantine since returning from the IPL.
England will look to provide some game-time to new talent from the recent County season, with Ollie Robinson and James Bracey receiving call-ups. Young Haseeb Hameed, who made his Test debut against India in 2016, has also been called up. Sam Billings could also make his Test debut after replacing the injured Ben Foakes.
Head Coach Chris Silverwood hinted that England's rotation policy would continue amid the quest to find the ideal team combination for the Ashes later this year. With plenty of options at their disposal, it'll be hard to predict who the Three Lions will go with for this match.
New Zealand have more pressure on them, with the whole cricketing world, especially India, watching them keenly. While they have a largely settled Test XI, the emergence of talents like Devon Conway has created some healthy competition within the team.
While India's success with an inexperienced and young team on Australian soil highlighted their development in Test cricket, 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.
While their initial preparations for this match were disturbed by some inclement weather, they played an intra-squad two-day game that saw a good performance from Devon Conway and a solid comeback for all-rounder Colin de Grandhomme.
New Zealand will look to be clever with their selections for this series and rest some of their regulars in the second Test ahead of that all-important final. They still have some positions to be sorted out, and Head Coach Gary Stead will look to do just that over the next couple of weeks.
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.
Match details
Date: June 2-6, 2021 (Wednesday-Sunday).
Time: 11:00 AM (Local/ BST), 3:30 PM (IST), and 10:00 AM (GMT).
Venue: Lord's Cricket Ground, London.
Weather Report
The match could be interrupted by rain, with showers forecast on Days 3, 4 and 5. A gentle breeze should blow on all five days, and that should aid the new ball bowlers. The average temperature should be around 23 degrees celsius.
Pitch Report
The home of cricket hasn't seen an international game take place in quite a while, with the 2nd Test of the 2019 Ashes being the most recent game at this venue. The wicket at Lord's is a balanced one with something in it both for batters and bowlers. The seamers should get some assistance off the wicket throughout the match, while the spinners could have an impact on Days 4 and 5.
Predicted XIs
England
It'll be hard to predict England's playing XI for either of these Tests, considering the number of changes they've made recently. James Bracey is slated to make his debut after an injury to Ben Foakes, and so is speedster Ollie Robinson. It's going to be interesting to see who opens the batting for England, with all of their regulars struggling against India.
Ollie Pope and skipper Joe Root look to be the only certainties in England's top-order, with the talented Daniel Lawrence likely to get another game as well. Jack Leach should feature in the side as the only spinner. James Anderson, Olly Stone, Stuart Broad, and Mark Wood will all be in contention to play as the side's seamers.
England: Zak Crawley/ Dominic Sibley, Haseeb Hameed/ Rory Burns, James Bracey(WK), Joe Root(C), Ollie Pope, Daniel Lawrence, Ollie Robinson, Craig Overton/ Stuart Broad, James Anderson, Jack Leach, and Olly Stone/ Mark Wood.
New Zealand
Devon Conway should make his Test debut for New Zealand and open the batting with Tom Latham. Skipper Kane Williamson, Ross Taylor, Henry Nicholls, and BJ Watling should form the side's middle-order. The No.7 looks to be the only slot that remains up for grabs, and all-rounders Darryl Mitchell, Mitchell Santner, Rachin Ravindra, and Colin de Grandhomme are all in contention.
New Zealand could play three out of Neil Wagner, Matt Henry, Tim Southee, and Kyle Jamieson and field Ajaz Patel as the main spinner, with Trent Boult unavailable for selection. However, they could opt to rest two of their front-line pacers in each Test to get all four of them fit and fresh for the WTC final.
New Zealand: Devon Conway, Tom Latham, Kane Williamson(C), Ross Taylor, Henry Nicholls, BJ Watling(WK), Darryl Mitchell/ Colin De Grandhomme/ Rachin Ravindra, Kyle Jamieson, Ajaz Patel/ Doug Bracewell, Matt Henry/ Tim Southee, and Neil Wagner.
Match prediction
While New Zealand looks the stronger side on paper, especially considering England's suspect batting order, the home advantage should balance it out nicely. With that and the possibility of rain interruptions later on in the match, a draw looks like a likely outcome.
Prediction: Match to be drawn
TV and live streaming details
TV: Sony Six
Live Streaming: SonyLiv
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