Under new captain Ben Stokes and new coach Brendon McCullum, England has won nine of their previous 10 tests, while New Zealand has gone six tests without a victory.
But since winning their maiden day-night test against the West Indies at home in 2017, the tourists have dropped five of their six day-night tests, all in back-to-back pink-ball matches.
Since then, England has lost day-night tests on the road against Australia (twice), New Zealand, and India.
Australia has won all 11 day-night tests it has played; the Black Caps have only played three pink-ball matches and have similarly been unable to upset the Australians.
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The only prior day-night test between the two teams saw New Zealand defeat England, and it was a memorable triumph for the hosts.
In March 2018, the Black Caps bowled first in Auckland’s Eden Park after captain Kane Williamson triumphantly won the toss.
Trent Boult got 6-32 and Tim Southee took 4-25, and the visitors were bowled out for 58, so he wasn’t let down by his bowlers. NZ cricket fans were on the edge of their seats at one point with England 23-8, expecting that England would record the lowest total in test history of 26, which was recorded by New Zealand against England in Auckland in 1955.
In response, Williamson and Henry Nicholls both scored hundreds, and while England performed far better in their second innings, the hosts still won by an innings and 49 runs in the final session after claiming the final three necessary wickets.
For the test series, New Zealand won’t have Boult, a significant threat with the pink ball swinging noticeably early, but will benefit from Kyle Jamieson’s recovery from an injury.
In contrast to the Black Caps, who have Williamson, Nicholls, Southee, Tom Latham, and Neil Wagner in their roster, England returns four players from that starting lineup in the form of Joe Root, Ben Stokes, James Anderson, and Stuart Broad.
There hasn’t been a draw in any of the 20 “pink-ball” tests played so far. While Sri Lanka is the only visiting side to have won a day-night test, they defeated the West Indies in 2018 with a score of 58. India made 36-9 against Australia in Adelaide in December 2017.