Ollie Pope, the vice-captain of the England cricket team, thinks the young Indian squad, led by the impressive Shubman Gill, has a lot of talent and depth. Still, he believes they’ll miss the presence of Virat Kohli as they gear up for the five-Test series starting in Leeds on June 20. After Kohli and Rohit Sharma retired from Test cricket, India picked a younger team for this big event.

Pope shared with talkSPORT Cricket, “It’s a young team, but these Indian players have so much talent. Shubman Gill, their new captain, is a fantastic player. They will miss having Virat Kohli around at slips, chatting and motivating the team. But they’ve got some solid players, so I’m sure they’ll feel confident. Our guys are ready for it.”

India hasn’t won a Test series in England since 2007, losing in 2011, 2014, and 2018, while their last series in 2021-22 ended in a draw. Pope pointed out how crucial this series against India is for England, especially as they prepare for the Ashes later in the year. “It’s a great time for us to play India. Last summer, we faced the West Indies and Sri Lanka, but with India coming over, the quality they’ll bring is perfect for our focus. So, it’s the ideal time to play them, and the Ashes will be exciting when they come around.”