π π«ππ ππ«πππ’πππ’π¨π§π¬ π¨π§ πππ₯ππ π«ππ¦ ππ
England
New Zealand
England and New Zealand will play the first Test at the iconic Lordβs. England will enter with confidence after winning the previous Test series between these teams 2-1 in December 2024. They will once again rely on their strong home record under Ben Stokes.
New Zealand will arrive with a near full-strength squad and several key players returning. Kane Williamsonβs comeback will strengthen the batting unit, while Mitchell Santnerβs return will add balance to the side. Tom Latham will lead a team that has regularly challenged top opponents in overseas conditions.
The recent head-to-head record shows a closely fought rivalry. England have won 3 of the last 5 meetings, while New Zealand have won 2. With experienced players such as Joe Root and Williamson expected to play major roles, this match will likely be decided by which batting lineup handles the Lordβs conditions better across both innings.
New Zealand's top order has multiple players with the ability to bat long periods as compared to Englandβs squad, giving them a stronger chance of producing the highest run-scorer in the match.
The betting tip is...
86842
64 %
36 %
EnglandNew ZealandEngland's key players will be fresh heading into the series as Joe Root, Ben Stokes and Harry Brook do not play in the IPL and benefited from managed workloads. Jacob Bethell joined the squad after winning the IPL title with RCB. England also considered a change in the batting order, with Jamie Smith expected to move up the order and Stokes likely to bat lower.
Joe Root remained England's most reliable batter in recent Tests. He scored 937 runs in 10 matches at an average of 55.12 and a strike rate of 57.48. Harry Brook also delivered consistently, scoring 839 runs in 10 matches at an average of 46.61 and a strike rate of 81.53.
With the ball, Josh Tongue impressed in limited opportunities. He picked up 37 wickets in six matches, maintaining an economy rate of 4.07 and a strike rate of 36.37.
Root, Brook and Bethell are the key batters.
Predicted Lineup: Ben Duckett, Jacob Bethell, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Jamie Smith (wk), Ben Stokes (c), Josh Tongue, Shoaib Bashir, Matthew Fisher, Gus Atkinson, Ollie Robinson
Mitchell Santner has recovered from the shoulder injury he suffered during the IPL and joined the Test squad earlier than expected. He replaced Dean Foxcroft, who was set to return home despite scoring 98 on debut against Ireland.
Santner's return strengthened New Zealand's all-round options ahead of the opening Test at Lord's.
New Zealand enter the series after a dominant innings victory over Ireland inside 3 days. Nathan Smith led the bowling attack with 8 wickets, while Blair Tickner claimed 6 wickets in the match.
Daryl Mitchell contributed with his medium-pace bowling, while Foxcroft had only bowled one over. Matt Henry missed that match due to a low-grade hamstring strain but travelled to London early to prepare for the England series. He was joined by Kyle Jamieson and Will O'Rourke as New Zealand assembled a near full-strength pace attack.
Latham, Williamson and Ravindra are the key batters.
Predicted Lineup: Tom Latham (c, wk), Devon Conway, Kane Williamson, Rachin Ravindra, Daryl Mitchell, Glenn Phillips, Mitchell Santner, Matt Henry, Kyle Jamieson, Will O'Rourke, Blair Tickner.
This should be a closely contested Test, but New Zealand look slightly stronger because of their batting depth and the return of key players. Kane Williamson, Tom Latham, Rachin Ravindra, and Daryl Mitchell give them a solid top and middle order capable of handling English conditions.
England will rely heavily on Joe Root and Harry Brook, but New Zealand appear to have more batting options capable of making a big score.
With a stronger batting lineup on paper and several players in good form, New Zealand are likely to produce the highest individual scorer of the match.
