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Updated May 22nd, 2021 at 07:11 IST

Tim Southee envisions England Tests as a preparation for ICC World Test Championship final

NZ pacer Tim Southee has said that the two-match Test series against England will be good preparation for the ICC World Test Championship final against India

Reported by: Karthik Nair
Tim Southee, WTC Final
Image Courtesy: AP/BCCI | Image:self
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New Zealand pacer Tim Southee won't be treating the two Tests against England as warm-ups for the World Test Championship (WTC) final but he admitted that the upcoming games will help the Kiwis in preparing for the summit clash against India.

The BlackCaps will be touring England to participate in a two-match Test series against Joe Root & Co. next month. The first Test will be played at the 'Mecca of Cricket' Lord's between June 2-6, whereas, the second and final Test match will be played in Edgbaston between June 10-14.

After the England series, the Kane Williamson-led side will be bracing up for a blockbuster clash against Virat Kohli's Team India in the ICC World Test Championship final at Ageas Rose Bowl in Southampton on June 18. The top two Test sides will battle it out in a one-off Test match for the biggest prize in red-ball cricket. 

'It's great preparation for the final': Tim Southee

"Nah, I think anytime you get a chance to play a Test match for New Zealand, it's an amazing opportunity and it's something that you treasure, so I don't think you would treat them as warm-ups," said Southee in a virtual press conference.

"It's a two-match Test series against England and so our focus is first and foremost on those two matches against England," he further said.

"For us, it is great to have those matches in the lead-in to the final that follows on afterward. It's great preparation for the final but in saying that, for us, it's a two-match Test series that we're really looking forward to, and the quality English opposition in these conditions," Southee opined.

Can New Zealand end their ICC title drought?

Both teams will be looking to gain dominance in the longest format of the game by winning the biggest prize in Test cricket. While India will be eager to avenge their heart-breaking World Cup 2019 semi-final loss, the Black Caps on the other hand will be hoping to make amends by winning a major silverware for the first time in 21 years. The Kiwis had made it to the deciders of the previous two editions of the World Cup (2015 & 2019) but could not succeed in going all the way. In fact, they had agonizingly fallen short in the 2019 edition where both England and New Zealand were tied at the identical score of 241 after regulation time as the English team eventually went on to left their maiden World Cup trophy due to an infamous boundary count rule.

(With ANI Inputs)

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Published May 22nd, 2021 at 07:11 IST

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