Batting legend Sachin Tendulkar has backed the Shubman Gill-led Indian team to beat England by a 3-1 margin in the upcoming five-match Test series.

The series opener is scheduled to take place in Leeds from June 20 to 24, followed by matches at Edgbaston (July 2-6), Lord’s (July 10-14), Old Trafford (July 23-27) and The Oval (July 31-August 4).

“I have settled for 3-1 to India,” said Tendulkar while speaking to ESPNCricinfo on the eve of the first Test.

Tendulkar was part of the 2007 Indian team that won the Test series on English soil under the leadership of Rahul Dravid. And that was the last time India clinched a series in England.

Tendulkar also offered his advice to Gill, who has been named India’s Test captain after the retirement of Rohit Sharma. He firmly believes the Punjab lad will do “something special” on the tour.

“My advice to him (Gill) would be that he should not worry about what x, y, and z are saying. His captaincy - whether Shubman is being aggressive or defensive or attacking enough or not a proactive captain or an active captain—whatever that opinion is, it’s only an opinion, and it’s from outside. I think what he needs to think about is what was discussed in the dressing room—when they are planning something, are they going according to that plan, and is the decision being made in the interests of the team—that is what he needs to think about and not about the outside world.”

Sharing his views on Gill batting at No. 4, Tendulkar said, “Playing for India itself is a responsibility, and it could be batting at any number; even if you go out to bat at 6 or 7, those runs are invaluable. No. 11 is also fulfilling the responsibility in a different capacity. It is good that people believe that he is capable of fulfilling that (No. 4) responsibility. The expectations that people have of him are a positive sign, because people have faith in him. He has to just go out and be himself, be determined, and put his best foot forward with all his commitment. I’m sure he’ll do something special.”

Tendulkar, who has Test batting average of over 50 in England, also shared the mantra for succeeding in these tricky conditions.

"There are three things which one needs to respect: overhead conditions, the wind, and the pitch," he said. "I feel something that all batters should think about and consider is a good, solid front-foot defence to a fast bowler. If you can defend well on the front foot to a fast bowler, then the rest of the things will fall into place. It is important to keep your hands close to your body, have a solid front-foot defence. The balls which are meant to be hit are, anyway, going to go ahead because they all are attacking players. But the balls which are not meant to be hit, that is when the hands will go away from the body, and a dismissal could cost the game. So a good, solid defence on the front foot is going to be a key factor."

Sachin Tendulkar advised Indian wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant to be measured in his approach. The southpaw came under the scanner for playing too many shots during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024/25 in Australia.

"He [Pant] should back his instincts most of the time," Tendulkar said. "But there'll be situations where he'll have to curb his game in the interests of the team. I know that whatever he does the rest of the time will also be in the interest of the team, but the approach might have to be different. He has to have that flexibility in his mind. If there are times when you're looking to save the game, then he may have to adapt that defensive approach, for let's say an hour or 45 minutes or sometimes two hours, where he'll have to just take those risky shots out of the game and not be as aggressive. He could be positive, but the shot selection will come into play.

"Otherwise, nine out of ten times, if I'm the captain, I'll say, 'Just go out and play your game, why worry about anything.' If you're looking to save the game, that is when the approach changes a bit, but otherwise I would tell him that you go out and be yourself and do what you feel is in the best interest of the team."