From pink balls to Brendon McCullum taking his aggressive approach back to his home country, JOE WILLIAMS looks at some of the themes to watch out for during the two-match Test series between New Zealand and England
England have travelled to New Zealand to contest a two-match Test series.
The first Test, a day-night affair with the pink ball, will take place in Mount Maunganui between February 16-20 before both sides travel to Wellington for the series finale (February 23-28).
Joe Williams identifies the key battles...
Brendon McCullum and Ben Stokes have enjoyed an incredible start to life as England's new coach and captain duo, winning nine Tests from a possible 10.
Their aggressive approach yielded results against New Zealand, India and South Africa during the 2022 home summer and also achieved success in Pakistan in December despite concerns about its suitability in unfamiliar conditions.
However, a fresh challenge awaits in the first Test: the pink ball.
Ollie Robinson is not a fan of the pink ball [Gareth Copley/Getty Images]
England's record in day-night games is not glowing, with just one win in six attempts. Against New Zealand back in March 2018, they lost by an innings and 49 runs.
Of course, the caveat is that none of these matches were played during the reign of McCullum and as he has demonstrated, under his rule anything is possible.
England's bowlers, however, are not fans of the pink ball.
Ollie Robinson has spoken about the issues he and his fellow bowlers are having in training: "I'm not a massive fan of that ball, no. We've been trying to get them to swing this last week and they're very inconsistent. [It's] just not a traditional cricket ball.
"We've been trying a lot in the last week or so to get the pink ball moving and it's proved pretty challenging. It's not as consistent as the red ball, Dukes or Kookaburra, which swing for a little while and allow you to shine them.
"This has a layer of lacquer on it and it's really hard to shine and keep it swinging. It's so hard to set yourself up and set the game because you don't know how they're going to react in the game."
England's record Test wicket-taker, James Anderson, is similarly unimpressed: "I love the red ball and I think that's how Test cricket should be played. I think it's amazing. I'm old and a traditionalist I guess.
"It's not something you really look forward to, a day-night game. I don't know who benefits from it. I'm not a massive fan but it feels like we don't get much say in the sort of cricket we play so we've got to turn up here this week regardless of whether it's a day-night game with a pink ball or whatever. You can tell I'm not a fan.
"If they are going to continue with day-night cricket, the ball needs to be looked at. Definitely."
You'd suspect the toss will be crucial, with the batting team facing the ball with the light changing.
New Zealand will have to contend with James Anderson and Stuart Broad [Gareth Copley/Getty Images]
It seems a strange question to ask given McCullum's New Zealand roots, but his team remains untested in these conditions.
If the warm-up match is anything to go by then the signs are positive for England. The tourists amassed 465 runs in just 69.2 overs on the first day, with half-centuries for Harry Brook (97), Dan Lawrence (85), Joe Root (77) and Ben Foakes (57). The bowling of the New Zealand XI was, by all accounts, on the lacklustre side, so these performances have to be taken with a pinch of salt.
England decided to play just one two-day warm-up game rather than previously scheduled two. This was a tactic that worked well for them in Pakistan but it may be one they regret with the weather forecast around the Bay Oval looking stormy. The weather may even interrupt their nets session meaning there will have been little time on the field to get used to the conditions.
One thing that is certain is that England will not change the way they play in New Zealand. McCullum has already said the fans can be expect to be entertained in this series, no matter what side they are supporting.
New Zealand have drawn their past two home Test series (against Bangladesh and South Africa, respectively) and have not won any of their last six Tests so they will be under pressure to win.
Jacob Duffy could make his New Zealand debut [Joe Allison/Getty Images]
You read that right. Anderson and Stuart Broad are back in the same XI in an away Test for the first time since January 2022.
Broad is back in the squad after missing the tour of Pakistan to attend the birth of his first child and may play a crucial role with the pink ball. New Zealand are likely to have at least two left-handers (Tom Latham and Devon Conway) in their top three and if there's one thing Broad enjoys, it's bowling to left-handers - just ask David Warner.
Anderson, meanwhile, will also have his eye on Latham after removing him three times in four innings when the two sides met in England back in June. Though not his favourite hunting ground by any stretch of the imagination, the veteran bowler boasts a healthy record in New Zealand, collecting 26 wickets at 32.80 in seven outings.
If facing a resurgent England side wasn't already difficult enough, New Zealand have lost two key players on the eve of the series.
Kyle Jamieson, who was expected to make his long-awaited return from injury, has been struck down by a suspected stress fracture in his back and will sit out the whole series. Matt Henry, who has taken 55 wickets in 18 Tests - including 27 at 34.22 in nine outings on home soil, will miss the first Test to attend the birth of his second child.
They've opted against calling up Trent Boult, who turned down a central contract with New Zealand Cricket to focus on his franchise career last year, and instead turned to Scott Kuggeleijn and Jacob Duffy.
Duffy is in impressive form, taking 22 wickets at 21.36 in this season's Plunket Shield, but Kuggeleijn has taken just four wicket at 64 in three first-class outings in 2022/23 as well as being a divisive character thanks to his off-field actions.
The presence of Tim Southee, Neil Wagner and in-form spinner Ish Sodhi means this is far from an unfamiliar New Zealand bowling attack but the challenge of containing Brook and co. has only become harder in light of the twin absences.
If selected, Duffy (who would be on debut) will have to be at his very best.
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