New Zealand vs England: 1st Test, Preview- Reinforced Kiwis will hunt for World Cup 2019 redemption

After getting sidelined from the T20I series due to a hip injury, skipper Kane Williamson will be returning to bolster New Zealand's squad.

Published - 20 Nov 2019, 12:22 IST | Updated - 20 Nov 2019, 12:22 IST

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After enthralling the crowd with a nail-biting finish in the ICC World Cup 2019 final, England edged past New Zealand in the recently-concluded T20I series too. Replicating their World Cup win, England edged past New Zealand in the final match of the T20I series in a thrilling super over.

England eventually clinched the series by winning the Super Over by 9 runs. It has been the year of rivalry between both sides and the trend will continue when they lock horns with each other with the red ball. As the series will not count towards the World Test Championship, both the teams are expected to experiment with the squads.

England are set to face New Zealand in a two-match Test series on the away soil. With an aim to salvage their World Cup defeat, the Kiwis will host England on November 21 in the First Test at Mount Maunganui. Kane Williamson and troops, who are currently ranked second in Test cricket, will have a slight advantage on their home soil. When the two sides had encountered each other last year in Tests, Southee and Boult had caused havoc on the English soil. New Zealand had registered a 1-0 victory in the Test series.

After getting sidelined from the T20I series due to a hip injury, skipper Kane Williamson will be returning to bolster New Zealand’s squad. New Zealand, surprisingly, have left out their two prominent spinners Ajaz Patel and William Somerville for two spin bowling all-rounder Mitchell Santner and Todd Astle. Along with the duo of Southee and Boult, Neil Wagner will also be hoping to deliver an impressive performance.

England, on the other hand, will try to withstand the Kiwi bowling attack with a formidable batting force led by skipper Joe Root. In the past few months, Ben Stokes has also emerged as an indispensable part of the English side. He will be assisted by the 21-year-old Sam Curran, who will be hoping to turn heads with his performance. Like New Zealand, England also have a strong bowling attack comprising the likes of Jofra Archer and Stuart Broad. The duo will be aiming to recreate their Ashes 2019 bowling spells.

Team Combinations

New Zealand

New Zealand, led by Kane Williamson, are equipped with a well-built bowling force. The Kiwi bowling force comprising Trent Boult and Tim Southee will be aiming to dismantle England’s batting line-up. After New Zealand have overlooked Lockie Ferguson for the first Test, local lad Neil Wagner will be aiming to create an impact with his pace and bounce. Mitchell Santer is the sole spin all-rounder to be included in the squad.

Playing XI: Tom Latham, Jeet Raval, Kane Williamson (C), Ross Taylor, Henry Nicholls, Colin de Grandhomme, BJ Watling (wk), Mitchell Santner, Tim Southee, Neil Wagner, Trent Boult

England

England’s focus will also be on their pace duo of Jofra Archer and Stuart Broad. Sam Curran, who has paved his way into the starting squad will also be hoping to carry forward the legacy of Anderson and Broad. Ben Stokes, who has been delivered match-winning performances for England in both the departments, is also expected to showcase his caliber on the New Zealand soil. Openers Rory Burns and Dominic Sibley will be joined by skipper Joe Root to propel England to a good start.

Playing XI: Rory Burns, Dominic Sibley, Joe Denly, Joe Root (C), Ben Stokes, Ollie Pope, Jos Buttler (wk), Sam Curran, Jofra Archer, Jack Leach, Stuart Broad.

Focus will be on

Trent Boult (New Zealand)

Trent Boult, who was the stand-out performer in the previous Test series against England, is anticipated to be the game-changer for New Zealand yet again. Boult had stunned the English side in the first Test by scalping nine wickets in the match.

He was also awarded ‘Player of the Series’. On the home soil, many people will place their bets on Boult to dismantle England’s top-order yet again. The 30-year-old has scalped 254 wickets in 63 matches for New Zealand.

Jofra Archer (England)

After breaking into the English side, Jofra Archer has delivered many impressive performances including his famous six-wicket haul in the third Ashes 2019 Test. With his lethal pace and bounce, Archer has the ability to leave the opposition squandering.

Archer was one of the stand-out performers for England in the Ashes 2019. In just four Tests, the Barbadian-born pacer has scalped 22 wickets including 2 five-wicket hauls.