I'm not in a frame of mind to prove myself in any country: Virat Kohli

Indian skipper Virat Kohli has shrugged off the talks that were centered around his ability to bat in English conditions, prior to the commencement of the 5-match Test series, the first of which would be played at Edgbaston, Birmingham.

The 29-year-old had an unforgettable tour of England back in 2014, where he scored a mere 134 runs in 10 innings and was on the verge of omission from the Test unit.

"I'm not in a frame of mind to prove myself in any country, I just want to perform for the team," said Kohli during a news conference on Tuesday.

"Obviously I want to score runs for the team and I want to take Indian cricket forward, and that's my only motive," he added.

Kohli feels that he has matured tremendously as a cricketer in the past four years and remained unaffected by the criticism that were hurled at him regarding his performance on the previous tour.

Despite clinching a historic victory over the Englishmen during the second game at Lord's, India failed to maintain the momentum and eventually lost to the hosts by a margin of 3-1 in the 5-match series.

"Back in the day when I did not know better, these things used to bother me because I used to read a lot. But I don't read anything (anymore)." said the Delhi lad.

He added, "If I waste my energy on these things, I am compromising on my mindset... I need to be in the clearest mental space and that happens when I am focused on what I have to do."

When asked whether team India were the favorites or the underdogs for the upcoming contests, Virat Kohli refused to comment on that note.

"If you're an underdog, it's not a given that the pressure will only be on the opposition. If you're the favorites, it's not certain that the underdogs will just come out and be fearless the whole time."

"I think it's a balance that is required and we've played enough cricket at this level to understand that," said the 29-year-old Indian skipper before concluding the press conference.

In 66 Tests, Virat Kohli has amassed 5,554 runs at an average of 53.40 with 21 centuries and 16 half-centuries to his name, and he is India's talisman leading into the long Test series.