Former India captain Ajinkya Rahane has backed young opener Yashasvi Jaiswal to do well in the five-match Test series against England, set to begin on June 20 at Headingley.

This comes months after speculations of a rift between Rahane and Jaiswal took the Indian cricket fraternity by storm.

Rahane, who has fallen out of favor with the Indian selectors in the Test format, shared his views about the upcoming series and key players on his YouTube channel.

"Personally, I'm really looking forward to seeing Yashasvi Jaiswal do well because opening the batting in England is really important. He has the game for it — he can control one end and also go on the attack when needed. So I'm really looking forward to seeing Jaiswal perform in England," Rahane said.

Earlier this year, media reports suggested a fallout between Jaiswal and Rahane following Mumbai's defeat to Jammu and Kashmir in the Ranji Trophy. Jaiswal has established himself as India's first-choice opener since his Test debut in July 2023.

Rahane also stressed the importance of the fast bowling duo in the England series. "I also want to see Mohammed Siraj and Jasprit Bumrah do well because, as senior campaigners, they have the responsibility to lead the attack and pick up wickets for the team."

"We all know Bumrah is an excellent bowler and a proven wicket-taker, but I'd like to see him take that extra responsibility and help the team get through challenging situations, because winning a Test series in England is always very special."

India's Test success in England has been rare, with only three series victories in 1971, 1986, and 2007 since bilateral engagements began in 1932. Shubman Gill will lead India this time around, and Rahane shared his thoughts on the young captain’s new role.

"I think it's going to be a challenging task for Shubman because in Test cricket I always believe you have to be proactive as a captain. I'm sure Shubman will do well, but it will take time because captaining in T20s and ODIs is completely different."

"In the Test format, sometimes you have to stay one or two steps ahead of your opponents, talk to your bowlers, and plan things with them. So, it's going to be a challenging task for him, but I'm sure he will do well as both a skipper and a batter," Rahane said.

After the series opener in Leeds, the two teams will move to Edgbaston (July 2-6) for the second Test, followed by matches at Lord’s (July 10-14), Old Trafford (July 23-27) and The Oval (July 31-August 4).

India's Test squad for England series: Shubman Gill (c), Rishabh Pant (vc), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Karun Nair, Nitish Reddy, Ravindra Jadeja, Dhruv Jurel, Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Akash Deep, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav.