New Zealand train for England series and World Test Championship final - in pictures

Two match series will serve as build-up to Test title clash against India in Southampton on June 18

New Zealand captain Kane Williamson walks to the nets with Tim Southee and Ross Taylor, right, during a nets session at Lord's Cricket Ground on Monday, May 31, 2021. Getty

Jacob Duffy of New Zealand bowls during a nets session at Lord's Cricket Ground. Getty

New Zealand's BJ Watling trains for the two Test series against England, which begins at Lord's on Wednesday. Getty

Fast bowlers Tim Southee and Kyle Jamieson speak to Lords groundsman Karl McDermott during a nets session at Lord's. Getty

New Zealand's Kane Williamson during the nets session at Lord's. PA

New Zealand pacer Neil Wagner during a nets session at Lord's Cricket Ground. Getty

Tim Southee trains at a nets session in London. Getty

New Zealand's Kyle Jamieson during training on Monday. Reuters

New Zealand's BJ Watling during their team nets session at Lord's. AP

New Zealand bowler's Kyle Jamieson, right, Tim Southee and Neil Wagner, left, chat during a practice session at Lord's. AP

New Zealand ramped up preparations for a crucial month of Test cricket in London on Monday, with their eyes firmly on the World Test Championship final against India.

The Black Caps take on England in a short two-Test series, which begins at Lord's on Wednesday. While Joe Root's team are a formidable outfit, the Kiwis will see the next two Tests as preparation for the main course – the Test championship final against Virat Kohli's India on June 18 in Southampton.

New Zealand lost the last two 50-over World Cup finals and the Test championship, therefore, is a chance for the golden generation of New Zealand cricket to win a title match.

Left-arm pacer Neil Wagner too sees the match against the Indians as a World Cup title decider.

"It is like a World Cup final for me," Wagner said.

"The biggest disappointment in my career is that I've never really played a white-ball game for New Zealand or never been able to crack into the T20 or the one-day game. That ship has probably sailed now.

"For me now, it's about putting all my focus and energy into Test cricket and to be able to play in a World Test Championship final is like a World Cup for me.

"I know this final is the first and there isn't a lot of history around it, but it's the start of something that's pretty big."

The clash between India and New Zealand is set to take place in a bio-secure environment at the Ageas Bowl.

The match was supposed to be held at Lord's, but because of the coronavirus pandemic it was moved to Southampton – the home of Hampshire – as the venue has on-site hotel facilities.

India will arrive in the UK on June 3 via a charter flight and carrying evidence of a negative PCR test, having spent 14 days in a bio-secure environment back home prior to travelling.