India head coach Gautam Gambhir and new Test captain Shubman Gill attended the pre-England tour press conference and spoke on various issues and cleared the air on several burning questions.

Between June and August, the five-Test series will be held at iconic locations, including Headingley, Edgbaston, Lord's, Old Trafford, and The Oval.

One of those questions was whether ace pacer Jasprit Bumrah would play all five tests, keeping his workload in mind. Gautam Gambhir provided a key update on Bumrah's availability ahead of the much-anticipated five-match Test series in England, which begins on June 20 at Headingley in Leeds.

“We haven't taken the call on which 3 games he will play. We will have a discussion with him, and depending on the series and results, and how the series is heading, I am sure he is very well aware of it as well.

It is difficult to replace someone like Bumrah, but we have enough quality. Like I said in the Champions Trophy, it gives an opportunity to another player to put their hands up,” Gambhir said during the press conference.

Shubman Gill, the new Test captain who took over when Rohit Sharma retired from red-ball cricket, will lead India going into the series. India's campaign in the ICC World Test Championship 2025–27 cycle begins with the England tour.

During the forthcoming tour of England, Gautam Gambhir has alluded to Karun Nair making a comeback to the Test team. When given the chance, Gambhir said, the Karnataka batter will be given a longer run, and the squad would benefit from his experience and performance in English conditions.

The 33-year-old has earned a recall to the Test setup for the first time in seven years, following a prolific run in domestic cricket.

"It's great for domestic cricket. It's great for the future of domestic cricket. All the youngsters who are playing domestic cricket will understand its importance: 'If you keep doing well in domestic cricket, doors are never shut," Gambhir said.

In the first of two unofficial Test matches against the England Lions in Canterbury, Nair, who visited England last month, opened his tour with a double century for India A.

"It's good to have the experience of Karun, who has played a bit of county cricket. He has scored runs there and hit a double hundred for India A. It's always good to have players who are in good form on these kinds of tours. His experience will definitely come in handy, and hopefully he can deliver.

More importantly, we will not judge someone by one or two tests. You guys can. We won’t. I think if someone has scored heaps of runs, he will be given a good run at this level as well so that he can showcase his talent here," Gambhir added.

Nair, who played for Northamptonshire in 2023 and 2024, also contributes invaluable County Championship experience in English conditions. He amassed 736 runs at a remarkable average of 52.57 across 10 games, including an outstanding double century.

(PTI inputs)