New Zealand vs England 1st Test - Key Players for Both Teams

The last phase of the Test season has begun and all the teams are trying their level best to give themselves a last push to end their WTC 2023-25 campaign on a better note.

New Zealand is scheduled to host one of their long-term rivals in red-ball cricket England for a 3-match Test series. The first fixture will begin on 28th November at the Hagley Oval.

England is travelling to New Zealand after their white-ball tour against West Indies earlier this month. They last played the red-ball format against Pakistan and the series ended up as a draw.

New Zealand was last seen playing a white-ball series against Sri Lanka in an away setup. However, Kiwis send shockwaves across the globe by defeating India in a 3-match Test series 0-3. New Zealand became the first team to completely wipe out team India in Test format in India after 12 years. It is because of their recent performance, that the best betting sites in India have odds in favour of New Zealand for the upcoming series.

New Zealand can gain motivation from their win against India and keep their hopes high to reach the finals of the World Test Championship at Lord’s. However, England also carries a bleak chance to be present at the Lord’s and hence they will be eyeing to play their best quality of cricket. The match prediction gives a detail analysis of the 1st Test.

We expect a thrilling 1st Test between the two teams and an exciting ending to the same. In this article, we dig deep and share the details of the key players from both sides who might come out as match-winners for their respective squads.

New Zealand vs England 1st Test - Squads

New Zealand Squad

Tom Latham (capt), Tom Blundell, Devon Conway, Jacob Duffy, Matt Henry, Daryl Mitchell, Will O'Rourke, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Mitchell Santner (Tests 2 and 3), Nathan Smith, Tim Southee, Kane Williamson, Will Young

New Zealand Probable Playing XI

Tom Latham (c), Tom Blundell, Devon Conway, Matt Henry, Daryl Mitchell, Will O'Rourke, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Tim Southee, Kane Williamson, Will Young

England Squad

Ben Stokes (capt), Rehan Ahmed, Gus Atkinson, Shoaib Bashir, Jacob Bethell, Harry Brook, Brydon Carse, Jordan Cox, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Jack Leach, Ollie Pope, Matthew Potts, Joe Root, Olly Stone, Chris Woakes

England Confirmed Playing XI

Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Jacob Bethell, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ollie Pope (wk), Ben Stokes (c), Chris Woakes, Gus Atkinson, Brydon Carse, Shoaib Bashir

New Zealand vs England 1st Test - Key Players

1) Rachin Ravindra - New Zealand

With time, Rachin Ravindra has become a major threat to every bowler in international cricket. He is young but his knowledge excels like an experienced player and Ravindra is known for his calm and composed attitude on the field. He starts slow but if he is all set on the ground, it becomes next to impossible for the bowlers to get rid of him.

2) Joe Root - England

The visitors will be dependent on their star batter in the red-ball format. Joe Root is the leading scorer in the Test format and he will eye to continue his momentum against the Kiwis. Root is also one of the most experienced players to play Test cricket against New Zealand and hence his knowledge will play a crucial role for the team.
 

3) Kane Williamson - New Zealand

One of the biggest advantages that the hosts have is the return of Kane Williamson after recovering from his injury. He has been in and out of the squad a lot in recent times but Williamson always poses a danger in Test cricket.

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