by New Zealand are set to welcome back Kane Williamson for their debut match against England but face a selection dilemma after whitewashing India in his absence.
Williamson is fit again after a groin injury saw him miss the entirety of a famous 3-0 away win and proved he was ready by scoring a half-century in from his return game for Northern Districts last week.
Despite the temptation not to change a winning team, Williamson’s status as the country’s top scorer means he will return straight to the XI in Christchurch on Thursday.
It falls to head coach Gary Stead and captain Tom Latham to deliver the bad news to one of their victorious teams, with Will Young vulnerable despite averaging 48.80 against crucial third-placed India .
“Obviously Kane will come back into the team, he’s a superb player as we know, but it creates some headaches for Tom and me,” Stead said.
“Kane is obviously a class player, one of the best in the world, so he will play somewhere in this line-up. It’s just how we manage to shape the rest of the team around it.
“What happened there was magical, the team played superbly well and probably dominated India in most facets of the game. We are delighted with what we did there and we also look forward to what will be a huge challenge for us against a quality English team.
“I’m sure it’s going to be a cracker of a Test series. We will see fireworks I would suggest.
New Zealand will field all-rounders Rachin Ravindra and Glenn Phillips as rotation options alongside a fast-paced four-pronged attack featuring one of two potential debutants, Nathan Smith and Jacob Duffy.
Veteran Tim Southee will lead the offense in his farewell series, having announced his impending retirement against the same opponents he debuted against in 2008.
“He’s been a fantastic player for a long time. We will definitely miss him when he is not here, but that time is coming for everyone,” Stead said.
“It’s good that he came on his terms and understood that it was the right time for him. We will certainly miss him when he is not here.
