Indian vice-captain Rahul Dravid on Monday said it would be a real challenge for every player to do well during the 83-day tour of England.

Speaking to reporters on the eve of the Indian team’s departure to London, Dravid said, “Personally, it is always special to play in England, may be because of the people’s interest in the game or the history or the culture. Every time I visit England, I like to give 100 per cent to the team.”

“This time round, we have three players other than me - Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly and Anil Kumble - who have played in the county championship which in turn could help the youngsters to share our experience and do well on the tour,” he added.

When asked what he thought about the Indian new ball bowlers, Dravid said, “They are young and inexperienced and that will give them a chance to stand up and say that I will take the challenge and lead the attack and get recognised to serve the country as a match-winner.”

On the young batsmen in the side, Dravid said, “We have Virender Sehwag, Dinesh Mongia, Wasim Jaffer, Mohammed Kaif, Yuvraj Singh and others who can make a major contribution on this tour if the experienced batsmen fail and I think it is good to mix youth with experience.”

About his role as wicketkeeper, Dravid, who spoke to the media in the absence of skipper Sourav Ganguly - whose flight from Kolkata was delayed - said he was improving every time and was also enjoying his role behind the wicket.