England vs New Zealand: Test series preview and schedule

England captain Ben Stokes with coach Brendon McCullum during a net session at The Kia Oval on July 30, 2025 in London, England. (Photo/Getty Images)

England will begin their home summer with a three-Test series against New Zealand, with the first match starting at Lord's on Thursday. The series is part of the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) 2025-27 cycle and comes at an important stage for both sides. England enter the series after a difficult Ashes campaign in Australia. Ben Stokes' team faced criticism following the defeat, but the management group of director of cricket Rob Key, head coach Brendon McCullum and captain Stokes has remained in place as England looks to move forward. Since the Ashes, England have made several changes, including bringing back a team curfew and adding more support staff. Among the appointments is former wicketkeeper Sarah Taylor, who has joined as a fielding coach and become the first woman to coach England's men's Test side. England can draw confidence from a similar situation in 2022. After losing the Ashes 4-0 in Australia and then suffering a 1-0 series defeat in the West Indies, Joe Root stepped down as captain. McCullum then took charge, and England responded by beating New Zealand 3-0. During that series, England scored 279, 299 and 296 in successive fourth-innings chases. New Zealand, meanwhile, are set to field both Kyle Jamieson and Will O'Rourke together in a full-strength pace attack for the first time in Test cricket. Jamieson stands at 2.07 metres (6ft 8in), while O'Rourke is 1.97 metres (6ft 4in). The pair have previously played together for Canterbury and in one-day internationals. Both are returning after back injuries. Jamieson's last Test appearance came in February 2024, while O'Rourke made an immediate impact with nine wickets on debut against South Africa before injury ruled him out. He has not played a Test since July 2025. There has also been speculation that this could be Kane Williamson's final tour of England. The 35-year-old opted out of a New Zealand central contract in 2024 and now makes his availability known on a series-by-series basis. Williamson is around 500 runs away from the 10,000-run mark in Test cricket. He has also confirmed that this will be his fifth and final Test appearance at Lord's, where he is yet to be part of a winning side.England vs New Zealand Test series schedule 1st Test: June 4–8, Lord's, London — 3:30 PM IST 2nd Test: June 17–21, The Oval, London — 3:30 PM IST 3rd Test: June 25–29, Trent Bridge, Nottingham — 3:30 PM ISTMatch timing The first Test will begin at 3:30 PM IST on Thursday, with the toss scheduled for 3:00 PM IST.Where to watch in India The England-New Zealand Test series will be shown live on the Sony Sports Network. Live streaming will be available on the SonyLIV app and website.