Batting stalwarts Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma bid adieu to Test cricket last month, leaving a big void in the Indian team ahead of the England tour that marks the beginning of the new World Test Championship (WTC) cycle.

Additionally, India will not have the services of legendary off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, who called time on his international career midway through the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024/25.

On the eve of the series opener at Headingley, however, England skipper Ben Stokes acknowledged the threat posed by the young Indian side, led by Shubman Gill. India are aiming to win their first Test series on English soil since 2007.

“There’s been a lot said about no Rohit, no Virat and no Ashwin, that doesn’t mean that we think it’s going to be any easier than what it ever is against India. The pool of talent that Indian cricket has is just ginormous. Although Virat, Rohit and Ashwin have done amazing things for their country on the field, that doesn’t mean that whoever comes in to replace those individuals are going to be any less hard to bowl at or bat against, just because of how big the pool of talent is in India,” Stokes said in a pre-match presser on Thursday (June 19).

“We’ve spent a lot of time out at the IPL, so I know that there’s a lot of it. Obviously, three massive names, three people who have done wonderful things for their country, but it is not going to be any easier for us because of those three big names out there,” he added.

While Stokes conceded Jasprit Bumrah will be a threat to the English batting line-up, he clarified that his side won’t be focused entirely on handling the Indian pace spearhead.

“Bumrah leading their attack, he’s a fantastic bowler but there (are) 11 players on the team, and it takes a team to win a game of cricket. But we know Bumrah is an amazing bowler all around the world. His record shows that, wherever he goes, he does well. We know Bumrah is going to be a threat, but we know that every other bowler that India has is also going to be a threat,” the English captain stated.

“Focusing on one individual over another isn’t what we’re going to be doing, but obviously, you pay respect to your opposition, and Jasprit Bumrah certainly is a fantastic bowler,” he further remarked.

India and England will play for the new 'Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy', starting with the five-match Test series on Friday (June 20). The legendary duo of Sachin Tendulkar and James Anderson unveiled the silverware on Thursday.