It isn’t quite the moment of truth, but Indian fans will get their first taste of life after Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli in Test cricket from today when the first of five Tests against Ben Stokes’s England gets going.

Under Shubman Gill, India venture into the unknown, in a manner of speaking, as they embrace transition with open arms, relying on the skills of their batting group to tide over the loss of massive experience against an England side that has played just one Test since last December. India themselves haven’t played a Test match since surrendering to Australia in Sydney in January.

While it is inevitable that there will be a sense of loss in the absence of Rohit, Kohli and R Ashwin, who retired in December midway through the Australia series, one can’t help but be excited by the prospects that lie ahead as a new era dawns. Several of India’s specialist batters haven’t played a Test in England till now, but they all have pedigree and steel and will be energised by the prospect of making a name for themselves in a land which places immense demands on skill and character, on technique and fortitude.