New Delhi, Feb 6 : England's head coach Brendon McCullum has emphasized his team's readiness to face a potential return of Indian cricketing stalwart Virat Kohli in the upcoming matches. With the series delicately poised at 1-1 after India's resounding victory in Visakhapatnam, the anticipation surrounding Kohli's potential comeback looms large.

Kohli's absence from the first two Tests due to personal reasons left a noticeable void in the Indian lineup. However, amidst the uncertainty, England's resilience shone through as they capitalised on the opportunities presented, with Ben Stokes leading the charge in the series opener in Hyderabad. "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 of Indian cricket, and the talent in India is immense. So, we respect every opposition player that we come up against," Brendon McCullum told TalkSport.

McCullum expressed respect for Kohli's prowess and competitiveness, underscoring the challenge his presence poses to the English side. "If Virat is coming back...we hope everything is well with his family. We 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.

Previously on Monday, India's head coach Rahul Dravid provided an update regarding Virat Kohli's potential return to the squad for the three remaining Test matches against England, stating, 'best to ask the selectors'.

"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 a selection over the next few days. We will connect with him and find out," Rahul Dravid said at the post-match press conference.

After losing the second Test by 106 runs, the England cricket team travelled to Abu Dhabi for 10 days of training for the third Test starting from Feb 15.

/IANS