Cricket News : Root: Playing 7 Tests against NZ and India the best Ashes preparation

England captain Joe Root said on Tuesday that planning for this winter's Ashes series is "in the background" as he looked ahead to the first Test against New Zealand at Lord's, which begins on Wednesday. England plays two Tests against the Black Caps and then a five-Test series against India this summer, before taking on Australia at the end of the year. The pair are the top-rated Test sides in the world right now and Root thinks that there could hardly be better preparation going into a hotly-contested series against the Aussies. "If we keep growing, keep learning, keep bettering ourselves all the time, naturally, with a full focus on these two series, then naturally, we'll be in a really good spot when the Ashes come around," Root said. He said he couldn't wait to play in front of spectators for the first time since 2019 - around 7000 fans will be allowed in at Lord's as the UK cautiously attempts to ease coronavirus restrictions. The England skipper also welcomed Stuart Broad being named as vice-captain for the New Zealand series in the absence of Ben Stokes and Jos Buttler and a debut for Gloucestershire wicketkeeper James Bracey.