England begin their long summer as they lock horns with New Zealand in the first of the two-match Test series starting June 2 (Wednesday) at Lord’s in London. Two of the best Test sides will fight it out in what will be a cracker of a series ahead of the ICC World Test Championship final.
Blessed with a potent bowling attack, the Black Caps have been one of the teams to beat over the last couple of years. The likes of Trent Boult, Tim Southee, Neil Wagner will be looking forward to shedding fire on a fresh Lord’s wicket. The two-match series will be a perfect foil for New Zealand to prepare for the WTC final against India.
On the other hand, England are a tough nut to crack at home. Although they miss a couple of star cricketers, the hosts have the pedigree to beat any side in the world with James Anderson and Stuart Broad in the line-up. English skipper Joe Root suffered a bruise on his right hand during a training session but is expected to be fit to lead the side on Wednesday.
Match Details
Match: England vs New Zealand, 1st Test
Date and Time: 2nd June 2021, at 3:30 PM IST
Venue: Lord’s, London
Pitch Report
A competitive game between the bat and ball is expected at Lord’s. The pacers should get the ball to swing around early on, with the batsmen having to bide their time in the middle. Although there isn’t much turn on offer, the spinners might play a part later on in this Test.
Predicted Playing XIs
England
Rory Burns, Dominic Sibley, Zak Crawley, Joe Root (c), Ollie Pope, James Bracey (wk), Ollie Robinson, Stuart Broad, James Anderson, Jack Leach, and Craig Overton/Mark Wood
New Zealand
Tom Latham, Tom Blundell, Kane Williamson (c), Ross Taylor, Henry Nicholls, BJ Watling (wk), Kyle Jamieson, Tim Southee, Neil Wagner, Colin de Grandhomme and Mitchell Santner
England vs New Zealand 1st Test Dream11 Fantasy XI
Fantasy Suggestion #1: James Bracey, Kane Williamson, Tom Latham, Rory Burns, Zak Crawley, Colin de Grandhomme, Ollie Robinson, James Anderson, Kyle Jamieson, Tim Southee and Stuart Broad
Captain: Kane Williamson. Vice-captain: Stuart Broad
Fantasy Suggestion #2: BJ Watling, Kane Williamson, Tom Latham, Rory Burns, Joe Root, Neil Wagner, Ollie Robinson, James Anderson, Kyle Jamieson, Tim Southee and Stuart Broad
Captain: Stuart Broad. Vice-captain: Tom Latham