Michael Vaughan has delivered his prediction for England’s series against New Zealand, tipping the Kiwis to secure a 1-1 draw ahead of their World Test Championship final against India.
England host Kane Williamson’s Black Caps in a two-match Test series, starting at Lord’s on Wednesday.
Following the second Test at Edgbaston, New Zealand will turn their attentions to the World Test Championship final and a clash with India, the top-ranked team in world cricket.
Vaughan is anticipating a tight series between England and New Zealand and reckons both team will win a Test to share the spoils.
He told the Tuffers and Vaughan podcast: ‘To be the No. 1 team in Test cricket for a period and to get to the World Test Championship final is a huge achievement.
‘They deserve to be there, they’re a high-class Test team. And it’s pretty much an England A team with the players missing.
‘It’s two teams who have been very, very difficult to beat at home in recent years. England don’t lost too many Test series at home and that’s the same for New Zealand.
‘But both teams have struggled on the road and that’s why I see this as a 50:50 contest. It wouldn’t surprise me if it was 1-1, it wouldn’t surprise me at all if each team had a better week and won a Test.
‘But this New Zealand team will take some beating, they really will. It’s just whether they’ve played enough good cricket recently.
‘You look at England, they’ve all played a lot of cricket. So for them it’s whether their new players can cope with the pressure and mentality of Test cricket.
‘They’re up against a quality team so it will be a great challenge for the England team.’
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