India’s batting firepower intact even without Rohit and Kohli: Stokes

London, May 21: India will be as formidable as ever despite the absence of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma during the five-Test series against England, given the "battery of batsmen" they possess, feels all-rounder Ben Stokes, who will lead the home side during the gruelling series beginning on June 20.

Stokes, 33, who is returning to the side after undergoing surgery on his left hamstring in December, added that in Kohli, India would miss someone with loads of fighting spirit and competitiveness on the field.

Both Rohit and Kohli retired from the longest format earlier this month.

"One thing about India is their battery of batsmen; it is just incredible. The time I've spent in the IPL, they've got batters coming out of there... can't say a word on this in this interview, but you know what I mean," Stokes said in a video posted by the England and Wales Cricket Board.

"You can never take any Indian team lightly, even with the fact that they are without two of their great batsmen."

Stokes said that the onus would be on his bowlers to put India under pressure in the opening Test.

"We always look to get out the opposition at the start of the Test match and then look to see how we adapt throughout the game as it progresses. But I know they (India) have got two big retirements. They have been such an important part of the Indian team and all the success they've had," he added.

"It's going to be a long, tough summer. Five Test matches always are, always are against India as well, and tomorrow (the one-off Test against Zimbabwe) is the start of the tone-setting."

Kohli's iconic stature and his competitiveness have made a lot of difference to the team's success over the years, and Stokes said he personally would miss him on the field.

"What India would miss maybe is his fighting spirit out in the game, his competitiveness, desire to win. He's made 18 (jersey) his, hasn't he?

"So, we haven't seen 18 on the back of any Indian shirt. It's going to be a shame not to be playing against him because we both play against each other; we both have the same mindset on the field.

"He's been incredible. No doubt there's been a lot of praise for him in India; there's definitely been praise for him from players here. He's done really well against England... he's a class player," added Stokes.

Stokes said he would remember Kohli for how hard he could hit the cover drive.

"He's just wow. He's probably someone I would remember for how hard he hit the ball through the covers. That cover drive would be the one."

Giving an update on his rehabilitation, Stokes, who suffered a tear during the third Test against New Zealand in December, said he'd put in a lot of effort to get back to peak fitness.

"Very excited to get going. The last game was in December. Everything's gone really well. Worked very hard to get to where I am. There's a lot of excitement around me getting back on the field."