London: Shubman Gill believes captaining India to a Test series victory in England would be a bigger achievement than winning the Indian Premier League.

Gill is set for his first assignment since succeeding Rohit Sharma as Test skipper as he leads a new-look side in the first of five matches against Ben Stokes' England at Headingley this week.

Test cricket, for so long the pinnacle of the game, has to compete with T20 franchise leagues around the world and players have multiple commitments.

Gill, who won the IPL title with Gujarat Giants in 2022, still views Tests, and especially series wins outside of Asia, as the ultimate achievement.

"You don't get many opportunities as a captain to be able to come to England -- maybe two, if you're the best of your generation, maybe three -- and you get to have a crack at the IPL every year," the batsman told a pre-match press conference in Leeds on Thursday.

"In my opinion winning a Test series in England, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa are bigger."

India will be without the retired trio of Rohit, Virat Kohli and Ravichandran Ashwin as they aim for a first Test series win in England since 2007.

Gill did not reveal his team for the first Test at Headingley but confirmed he would step in to Kohli's usual position of four in the batting order.

Jasprit Bumrah, Ravindra Jadeja and Rishabh Pant are big-name players but Gill said less experienced members of the India squad were unburdened by past failures in England.

"A lot of people talk about us not having experience but there are positives that we don't really have any baggage coming to England because not all of the players have been to England," he said.

"That could be one thing that makes the difference for us because we won't be carrying any baggage. We are all very motivated."

Karun Nair to make a comeback? 

On the eve of the first Test against England at Headingley, Team India held an optional net session under sweltering, dry conditions. It was far from a full house, with several key players missing, including Rishabh Pant, Dhruv Jurel, Jasprit Bumrah, Akash Deep, Harshit Rana, Mohammed Siraj, Shardul Thakur, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Washington Sundar.

Despite the heat, those present made the most of the session. KL Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal had extended batting stints, while captain Shubman Gill engaged in a lengthy hit-out. Karun Nair was notably active, utilising all practice surfaces. Ravindra Jadeja spent considerable time on his batting before a tactical chat with coach Gautam Gambhir.

With the toss hours away, attention has shifted to India’s playing combination, which remains unannounced. Unlike England, who have named their XI, India are keeping cards close. Gill said the team has “one or two options” and will take a final call after pitch assessment. He and Gambhir briefly inspected the surface before resuming preparations.

Nair is expected to return at No. 3, with the top six likely comprising Jaiswal, Rahul, Nair, Gill, Pant, and Jadeja. Bumrah and Siraj are almost certain to lead the pace attack, leaving three spots open — particularly for the all-rounders and third seamer.

Shardul Thakur and Nitish Kumar Reddy are strong contenders for their dual skills. Prasidh Krishna could feature, especially since Arshdeep Singh bowled a long spell — a sign he may be rested.

Kuldeep Yadav is also in contention given the dry pitch, though his inclusion may weaken batting depth. The chinaman bowled and batted extensively, but final selection may come down to a choice between bowling variety and batting solidity.

India’s tactical decisions could well define the tone of the series opener.(With inputs from Agencies)