Kohli not interested in 'underdog' tag

The English bookies have England as the favourites heading into the series, despite India being ranked as the No.1 Test side in the world.

When asked about whether his side prefers being favourites or underdogs, Kohli replied: "It doesn’t matter to us. Whatever you are, you still have to go out and do well on the field.

"If you’re an underdog, it’s not a given that the pressure will only be on the opposition; if you’re favourites, it’s not certain that the underdogs will be fearless the whole time.

"We’ve played enough cricket at this level to understand that these are things discussed on the outside. As a professional cricketer, you have to go out there and execute what you are picked for."

India lost 3-1 on their last tour of England on 2014 - a series in which Kohli averaged 13 - but the MRF Tyres No.2-ranked Test batsman shrugged off claims he needs to prove himself in England.

"Back in the day when I did not know better, these things used to bother me a lot," the 29-year-old admitted.

"But honestly, not because I’m sitting here and ‘should’ say this to all of you: I genuinely don’t read anything. My only focus is on my preparation and where the team has to head.

"If I waste my time on these things, then I’m compromising my mindset already, because when I walk out to bat I have the bat in hand – not the people outside.

"I didn’t think 10 years ago that I’d be sitting here, and I’m not in any frame of mind that I must prove myself in any country. I just want to perform, and score runs for the team."

India haven't played in a five-match series since England came to tour in late 2016, a series which India won 4-0. The longevity of series is something Kohli is relishing.

"The fact that it’s a long series is something we’re really looking forward to - it gives you a lot of opportunities," he said.

"There’s two ways to think about it. You can either think it’s too long, or you can think there’s so many opportunities to come up every day, session - we’re in that frame of mind.

"It’s a young team who have played a lot of Test matches, which is a rare combination to find. But we are very comfortable with where we stand as a team, and we’re confident of our abilities, characters and mental toughness, which is required to win in overseas conditions."

Kohli has a tough selection decision to make regarding batsmen Cheteshwar Pujara and Shakhir Dhawan, who are both struggling for form, but insists it's a call that will be made without regrets.

"Along with the management you have to sit down and make the call," he explained. "It all boils down to your gut feeling. If five people on the table agree that it’s right for the team, then we go with that. For us it’s then no looking back.

"There’s total honesty and total ownership all around the squad, so that’s the basic mindset behind it. In Test cricket, what matters is the balance of the side. That’s the most crucial thing, I think."

The first Test between England and India begins tomorrow morning at 11am.