NZ vs END 2024 Test series: All you need to know (Source – Getty Images)
With the World Test Championship Final spot at stake, England will be touring New Zealand starting November 28. The rivalry, which has been revered for ages and has produced many memorable matches, will once again be on display as Three Lions’ Bazball challenges Kiwis’ resilience.
New Zealand are playing hosts to England for three Tests, with the first encounter set to be played in Christchurch from November 28 to December 2, followed by the second fixture in Wellington from December 6 to 10. The third and final game will be played in Hamilton from December 14 to 18.
New Zealand will be on a high after their series clean sweep in India, a feat not achieved by any team since the 1999-2000 series when India lost to South Africa. With the series win in India, New Zealand has certainly put itself in contention for the WTC final. If they win each of their three remaining Tests against England, they will finish on 64.29%. While this won’t guarantee qualification, it will certainly keep them in the mix. However, if they lose one of those Tests, their percentage will drop to 57.14%, which might still be enough depending on other results.
On the other hand, the two defeats in Pakistan mean that England can finish with a maximum win percentage of 48.86 even if they beat New Zealand 3-0. It’s almost certain that it won’t be enough for qualification, though there’s a mathematical chance of finishing second on 48.86 if several other results go their way.
It will be the aggressive batting lineup of England against the strong bowling lineup of New Zealand, who have performed exceedingly well this season. With the likes of Harry Brook, Ben Duckett, Joe Root, Zak Crawley, and Ollie Pope leading the lineup, and strong all-rounders like Ben Stokes and Chris Woakes to follow, the bowling lineup of the Kiwis will have their work cut out.
For New Zealand, Matt Henry and Tim Southee will be spearheading the bowling attack, with the support of young William Orourke, who has proven his mettle in his short seven-match Test career.
On the other hand, New Zealand will be dependent on the experience of Kane Williamson, Darryl Mitchell, Tom Latham, Devon Conway, and the flamboyance of Rachin Ravindra to tackle the relatively young bowling attack of England. England will certainly miss the fierce pace of Mark Wood, who is out due to a bone-stress injury in his right elbow.
NZ vs ENG 2024 Squads
New Zealand
Tom Latham (c), Tom Blundell (wk), Devon Conway, Nathan Smith, Tim Southee, Kane Williamson, Will Young, Jacob Duffy, Matt Henry, Daryl Mitchell, Will O’Rourke, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, and Mitchell Santner (2nd & 3rd Tests).
England
Ben Stokes (c), Rehan Ahmed, Gus Atkinson, Shoaib Bashir, Jacob Bethell, Harry Brook, Brydon Carse, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Jack Leach, Ollie Pope, Matthew Potts, Joe Root, Olly Stone, and Chris Woakes.
Also Read: NZ vs ENG 2024: England announce playing XI for first Test
NZ vs ENG 2024 Fixtures
1st Test: Nov 28-Dec 2, Christchurch
2nd Test: Dec 6-10, Wellington
3rd Test: Dec 14-18, Hamilton
NZ vs ENG 2024 Broadcast details
Where can you watch New Zealand and England Test series?
The series will be live on Sony Sports Ten 5 SD & HD.
Where can you stream the series between New Zealand and England?
Indian fans can stream the series on Sony LIV from 3:30 AM IST.