In the past six months, three of India’s vastly experienced cricketers have quit Test cricket. Ravichandran Ashwin was the first to begin this procession, retiring from international cricket midway through the Australia tour. A few months later, Rohit Sharma announced his retirement from Test cricket, with Virat Kohli following suit after a few days. In the space of a few months, the Indian Test side lost a combined 296 Tests’ worth of experience. The England tour, comprising five Tests, will be the team’s first assignment, and their absence is palpable. Head coach Gautam Gambhir is well aware of the challenge awaiting his team, but he sees it as an opportunity for players to step up and achieve something special. “All I want to say is there are two ways of looking at this group. One is that we are without our three most experienced players, or we’ve got this phenomenal opportunity to do something special,” Gambhir said in a video shared by the BCCI. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Team India (@indiancricketteam) Gambhir wants the members of the Test squad to be ready to make sacrifices, leave their comfort zones, and begin enjoying playing for their country. “And when I look around this group, the hunger, the passion and the commitment to do something special… If we make sacrifices, if we come out of our comfort zones, if we start fighting, not every day, but every session, every hour and every ball, I think we can have a memorable tour. So make sure we start that today. Start enjoying playing for the country because there’s no bigger honour,” he said. Shubman Gill has been appointed Test captain with Rohit’s retirement, and he echoes Gambhir’s views. “Let’s make each and every net session meaningful, and let’s prepare like that. Let’s put ourselves under a little bit of pressure when we’re going out there. Let’s try to – it’s not about going out there and surviving. Let’s try to find our game, how we’re going to play when we’re put under pressure, be it bowlers or batters. And let’s make the practice match and each and every net very meaningful, and let’s play every ball with purpose,” he said. The first Test starts on 20th June.