NZ vs ENG: Veteran England pacer Stuart Broad marks his return for Bay Oval Test

Veteran England pacer Stuart Broad is all set to make his return to red-ball cricket as the Ben Stokes-led side has included him in the playing XI for the first Test against New Zealand at Bay Oval in Mount Maunganui.

Notably, the cricketer missed the Pakistan tour because of the birth of his first child, Annabella, and now will be seen playing his 160th match for the Three Lions in Test cricket.

England skipper Ben Stokes has mentioned that given the conditions at Mount Maunganui, they tried to cover all the bases and Broad will be an important part of their jigsaw puzzle. He has the ability to swing the ball both ways and the conditions will suit the pacer in the series. The 36-year-old will be accompanying his fellow teammates James Anderson and Ollie Robinson on the field as England now eye to dominate teams away from home.

“The way in which we've gone about our selections and stuff like that, especially in England and in similarish conditions here, the team we pick - especially with the ball - has the bases all covered, especially in these type of conditions,” said Ben Stokes as quoted by ESPNcricinfo ahead of the first Test.

Ben Stokes shares update on his bowling fitness

Meanwhile, England skipper Stokes has confirmed that he is fit enough to bowl in the first Test. The 31-year-old did not take part in the warm-up game against New Zealand XI and thus, there were concerns about his fitness. However, Stokes dismissed all the rumours and stated that he is fit and raring to go.

“We've had really good preparation and build-up for this game and, even with the weather, we've still been able to train in the tent," Stokes said.

"Everything is good. Bowling-wise, it's picking the right moment to bowl. I've had the last two days off bowling-wise, then will have a trundle tomorrow [Wednesday]. It's just making sure I get in everything I need to before we start,” the all-rounder mentioned.

For a better experience: Download the CricTracker app from the IOS App Store and Google Play Store