Black Caps v South Africa Test series preview: Can New Zealand make history?

With the Black Caps v South Africa Test series starting on Thursday, we decided to break from tradition and release this stand-alone episode before our regular This Week in Cricket show.

We discuss potential lineups, key matchups, two batting orders missing important players, bold predictions and series winners as we deep-dive into this eagerly anticipated series, which sadly is only two Tests, both at the home of cricket, Hagley Oval.

• Ravindra or De Grandhomme for the first Test?

• Is Tom Blundell under serious pressure for his place in the side?

• Are South Africa the real deal after beating India?

• Will Dean Elgar regret his pre-game comments?

• Have New Zealand lost their aura of invincibility at home?

• Should Ross Taylor have been recalled?

• And can the Black Caps, who have never beaten South Africa in a Test series and only won 4 individual Tests against the Proteas, make history at Hagley Oval over the course of the next two weeks?