England's star batsman Kevin Pietersen will be unleashed on the New Zealand XI in their four-day warm-up match starting in Queenstown tomorrow.
Pietersen, wicketkeeper Matt Prior, pace bowler Graeme Onions, spinner Monty Paneser and opening batsman Nick Compton have boosted a squad still riding high following their comprehensive one-day series win at Eden Park on Saturday.
But it is the introduction of the dynamic Pietersen, who averages a world class 49.42 in Test cricket, which will be one of the biggest talking points ahead of the three match Test series.
"Obviously [Pietersen] he brings in energy and obviously quality to the squad as well so yeah it's good to have him back and it's just as normal really," said team-mate Ian Bell.
England's Test squad, who are coming off an impressive series win in India and are ranked number two in the world behind South Africa, will start as overwhelming favourites when the first Test starts in Dunedin this week.
But Bell, who was part of the team that went down to New Zealand in the first Test of the 2008 tour in Hamilton, is taking nothing for granted.
"We've still got to earn the rights," he said.
"Test cricket, it's hard to win a Test match and you can't just turn up and win, you have to do the hard yards and we expect to do that."
England are expected to name their strongest XI for tomorrow's warm-up match, but there is a chance captain Alastair Cook might not play.
If Cook is rested, Johnny Bairstow is likely to slot into the middle order with Compton and normal first drop Jonathan Trot set to open.
England (likely XI): Nick Compton, Alastair Cook or Johnny Bairstow, Jonathan Trot, Kevin Pietersen, Ian Bell, Joe Root, Matt Prior, Stuart Broad, Graeme Swann, James Anderson, Steven Finn.