It's back to lockdown here in New Zealand, but Raj returns as we gather on Zoom to review the cricketing week that was and the second Test between England and India.

We start the show with another thrilling Test match, as Kemar Roach and Jayden Seales get the West Indies home against Pakistan. There's New Zealand news, with Shane Bond joining the Black Caps coaching staff for the T20 World Cup, and Molly Penfold getting a White Ferns call up. Adam Milne gets a shout out during some Hundred predictions that haven't aged well, and Baldy finally joins the conversation to weigh in on the Justin Langer saga and Australia's T20 World Cup squad.

A downcast Binksy begins the England v India conversation as we look back at what became an impressive win for Virat Kohli's side. We talk bouncers, captaincy, Bumrah and Shami smashing it to all parts, Joe Root, the war of words, Jarvo, Mohammed Siraj, whether England dropping Dom Sibley and Zac Crawley will make any difference at all, and whether Lippy will get to see Ravi Ashwin bowl during the series.

We're a man down on this episode, with Raj unavailable, but we soldier on to review the cricketing week that was.

We start with a solo performance by Stu, as the Black Caps squads and New Zealand Cricket's plans for the rest of the year were announced on Tuesday morning - the day after our initial recording. He runs through the team lists and a few initial thoughts, particularly about the T20 World Cup side and the spin-heavy look, which includes the likes of Mark Chapman and Todd Astle (full team lists and info available here). Plus, of course, there's a shout out to Riccarton Cricket Club and their potential debutant Cole McConchie, and thoughts on the White Ferns tour to England.

The podcast restarts proper with Baldy hitting the replay button as we discuss Australia's woes and whether there are any positives they can take from the T20 series loss against Bangladesh - or whether it even matters at all with so much cricket still to be played before the World Cup. We talk about scheduling challenges for The Hundred, and introduce a new segment - Media Watch - which this week highlights George Dobell's live blog of the first England v India Test.

After the swish, we break down the Trent Bridge Test, in which a potentially fascinating Day 5 was washed away by the rain. Who came away with the points victory? Why didn't India play Ravi Ashwin and will we see him at all in this series? Will anyone other than Joe Root score runs for England? Will The Ashes be cancelled? Is Virat Kohli still good? And who will win the second Test at Lord's?

This week on the show we talk about the start of The Hundred, try to figure out what's real and what's not from the West Indies v Australia matches and look ahead to an intriguing Test series between England and India.

We start by discussing The Hundred as Lippy attempts to understand why the competition appears to be so divisive, realise that cricket is still cricket and cricket is fun to watch, but what's going on with those graphics?!

Then we take another opportunity to quiz Baldy about what's going on with this Australian white-ball side. Are they good? Or not? Have they completely mismanaged their selections and plan for the year? Or not? Or is it way too early to tell? And why can the West Indies score more runs in 20 overs than they can in 50? Raj has the answer, which may have something to do with the Universe Boss Chris Gayle.

We round out the episode by looking ahead to what we hope will be a fascinating Test series between England and India. How excited are the spinners among us about watching Ravi Ashwin for five Tests? How many runs will Joe Root need to score for England to have a chance? How will Ollie Robinson fit into England's bowling attack? There's Broad and Anderson v Kohli, Sharma, Pant and co, and optimistic Binksy makes an appearance during prediction time.

After a hat-trick of quality guests, normal service resumes as we discuss recent events across the cricketing world.

We talk about the raft of Black Caps performing on the English county circuit, including Glenn Phillips, Finn Allen, Lockie Ferguson and Adam Milne, and the prospect of huge competition for spots as New Zealand builds towards the T20 World Cup.

Baldy really enjoys it as he's questioned about Australia's performances against the West Indies:

• Are they any closer to knowing their best XI in T20 cricket?

• Should Mitchell Marsh be in that lineup?

• Are there problems behind the scenes?

And we heap praise on the West Indies who, even after their recent series losses to South Africa, look an incredibly united cricket side that are so fun to watch and so dangerous in the white-ball formats, with a batting lineup featuring the likes of Chris Gayle, Andre Russell and Kieron Pollard, plus the emergence of bowlers like Obed McCoy and Hayden Walsh.

After a swish, it's England's turn to receive our praise, with their incredible limited-overs depth demonstrated by series wins against Sri Lanka, followed by Pakistan with a complete team swap in between. Binksy explains why it's easier to make the step up to international cricket in ODIs and T20s than it is in Test match cricket, and why we should all have posters of Joe Root on our wall. Raj takes us through Sri Lanka's off-field struggles and Lippy asks: Will they even qualify for the 2023 World Cup?

You beauty!

Absolute scenes at Top Order HQ as New Zealand defeats India to become the inaugural winners of the World Test Championship.

• Is this New Zealand Cricket's greatest moment?

• Is this the best Black Caps team ever?

• Is Kyle Jamieson the best bowler of all-time?

• Or is that actually Neil Wagner?

• What were India doing in their second innings?

• And how nervous were we as NZ edged towards the finish line?

Plus there's chat about Kane Williamson, Ross Taylor, Virat Kohli, R Ashwin, Rishabh Pant, BJ Watling and Devon Conway, as we run through the key figures and moments of a fascinating final that spanned six days and went right down to the wire. Dropped catches, absolute stunners, lower-order runs, great shots, reckless shots and crucial spells, it's all there for you to re-live and enjoy.

World Champs!

In case you missed it on our social media feeds, we're now taking orders for Top Order Podcast merch. Take a look, and let us know if you'd like to get in on our first shipment.

And don't worry, this first WTC cycle is complete, but there's plenty more content on the way - our chat with former Black Cap and new Wellington Cricket bowling coach Iain O'Brien will drop next week.

Test match cricket is back and we break down all the highlights and lowlights from the Black Caps v England Test at Lord's.

• Devon Conway's incredible debut

• Tim Southee's 6-for

• Ross Taylor's form

• A hundred from Rory Burns

• Ollie Robinson's debut - on and off the field

• Should England have tried to chase down NZ's target on the final day?

• Changes for the second Test?

And before that, we quickly cover the ICC's tournament schedule, which sees the continuation of the World Test Championship, the return of the Champions Trophy and expansion of the men's Cricket World Cup (14 teams) and T20 World Cup (20 teams), plus Raj takes us through the contract disputes in Sri Lanka - something that seems to be an ongoing theme in many nations around the world.

We've been busy recording interviews over the past couple of weeks, but we couldn't resist some banter about the week that was.

A reserve day has been added to the World Test Championship Final, the BCCI has set dates and locations for the completion of IPL 2021 and the Black Caps inter-squad match is in the books. We also chat through the unfortunate injury to Ben Foakes and what that's likely to mean for the England side to face New Zealand, plus take a look at the upcoming fixtures between South Africa and the West Indies.

The boys are back together again to round up the cricketing week that was.

There's high praise for BJ Watling after he announces he'll retire after the World Test Championship Final, Daryl Mitchell and Glenn Phillips get Black Caps contracts and we debate where that leaves Ajaz Patel's prospects on the international stage.

Baldy takes us through an Australian summer schedule dominated by the men's and women's Ashes, the evergreen Darren Stevens and Sandpaper Gate get shout-outs, and should we start making bats from bamboo?

We finish the show with an extended chat about the upcoming England v New Zealand Tests. Can the Black Caps find a spot for a spinner? Who will slot in at 7? Can England's batters secure themselves an Ashes spot? Will anyone make their Test debut? And, of course, who will win the series?