England begin their long Test summer with the two-match series against New Zealand at home on Wednesday (June 2, 2021) at the Lord’s. The English team will then take on India in a five-match series on home soil.
Captain Joe Root is seeing the two Test series at home as a build up to Ashes and has further added that a clean sweep win against both the sides will give his team a lot of confidence.
"There are going to be constant conversations about Australia throughout this whole summer, there is no getting away from that," Root told reporters.
"It is of utmost importance, absolutely. But the way we are best going to prepare ourselves is by performing well in these seven Tests, by winning seven Test matches against the best two sides in the world," he added.
Root further said that he couldn’t have asked for better opponents to go ahead with the preparations.
"You couldn't be asking for two better opponents right now - to take on the best is what sport is all about and every Test means a hell of a lot to our players and to me. These Tests are our full focus."
While England will host both New Zealand and India, the two sides will lock horns with each other in the final of the inaugural World Test Championship in Southampton with the encounter scheduled to begin from June 18.
The Ashes on the other side will begin on December 8 in Brisbane.