England head coach Brendon McCullum said the visitors will be prepared to face an Indian team with Virat Kohli in it if the star batter returns to action in the remainder of the five-match Test series.

Kohli pulled out of the first two matches due to personal reasons. In his absence, India lost the opening Test in Hyderabad by 28 runs while the hosts won the second Test in Vizag by 106 runs.

It remains to be seen if Kohli will be available for the third Test, slated to get underway after an extended break on February 15 in Rajkot.

"Virat's one of the greatest players of the game has seen. No doubt it improves this squad. As we have said throughout, the depth in Indian cricket, the talent in India is immense. So we respect every opposition player that we come up against," McCullum told TalkSport.

"If Virat is coming back... we hope everything is well with his family. We will look forward to that challenge too. He is a great competitor. I know him very well and I enjoyed playing against him, I enjoyed our team playing against him. And if you have success against the best, I am sure you have earned it," he added.

Addressing the media after India’s Vizag Test win, head coach Rahul Dravid said that the selectors would be in the best position to answer about Virat Kohli's availability for the remainder of the series.

"I think it's best to ask the selectors. I am sure they are the best people to answer ahead of the team selection for the next three Tests. We will get to that. I am sure there will be selection over the next few days. We will connect with him and find out," Rahul Dravid told reporters.

Last month, the BCCI issued a statement on Kohli’s withdrawal from the first two Tests against England and urged the fans and media to respect his privacy. Subsequently, rumors of his mother being unwell also emerged on social media.

However, Vikas Kohli, brother of Virat Kohli, refuted rumors of their mother health and that being the reason for the cricketer to take a break.

On Saturday (February 3), AB de Villiers revealed that Kohli and Anushka Sharma are expecting their second child and praised his former RCB teammate for prioritizing his family.

"Yes, his second child is on the way. Yes, it's family time and things are important to him. If you are not true and genuine to yourself, you lose track of what you are here for. I think most people's priority is family. You can't judge Virat for that. Yes, we miss him. But he has made absolutely the right decision," De Villiers said on his YouTube channel.