The first Test of the New Zealand tour of Zimbabwe will take place at the Queen’s Sports Club, starting today at 1:30 PM IST. New Zealand are the favourites in this clash, but Zimbabwe have a lineup that can challenge the Kiwis. The hosts are yet to win a match in their home season, and this could very well be their redemption run as they look to turn the tide against the visitors.
Before we dive into the live action, check out the in-depth match preview, where to watch the live streaming and head-to-head stats for Zimbabwe vs New Zealand – 1st Test, New Zealand tour of Zimbabwe 2025.
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Zimbabwe vs New Zealand: Where to Watch Live?
Date | 30/07/2025 |
Time | 1:30 PM IST |
Venue | Queen Sports Club in Bulawayo |
Streaming OTT | Fancode, Sony Liv |
Zimbabwe vs New Zealand: Match Preview
The visitors, New Zealand, are coming in fresh from a magnificent win in the tri-series, defending 7 runs in the final over against South Africa’s best batter of the series to take the trophy back home. The Kiwis are riding on a high note and will be looking to clean sweep the Test series.
However, underdog hosts Zimbabwe are trying to get back into winning matches, putting their winless tri-series run behind them and hoping to pose a challenge to the Kiwis. Zimbabwe do have a well-balanced team that can challenge New Zealand, but their issue remains inconsistency, as they often fail to stick together as a team, irrespective of the format.
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Latham Out, Santner to Lead
Coming to the team news, New Zealand will miss their skipper Tom Latham, who is sidelined with a shoulder injury. As a result, he’ll miss the first Test, and Mitchell Santner will lead the team in his absence. The Kiwis are expected to stick with their strong line-up and will not underestimate Zimbabwe at any cost. A Test after a long gap for the Kiwis could take some time for the team to settle and adapt.
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Zimbabwe Stick with Core Squad
Zimbabwe will play their third Test this season, and they are expected to field a similar line-up to the one used against South Africa in the Test series. Led by Craig Ervine, the squad will see the return of Sikander Raza, while Brian Bennett and Sean Williams are also expected to start to bolster the batting line-up. Meanwhile, the inclusions of Ben Curran and wicketkeeper batter Clive Mandande remain in doubt due to poor form; however, final decisions will depend on team balance and experience as they take on the challenging Kiwis.
Zimbabwe vs New Zealand: Head-to-Head Records
Teams | New Zealand | Zimbabwe |
|---|---|---|
Matches Played | 17 | 17 |
Won | 11 | 00 |
Draw | 06 | 06 |
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