England captain Ben Stokes declares himself fit and ready after hamstring surgery

Stokes has spent the last five months on the sidelines and has not played any competitive cricket but is set to lead England out in the one-off Test against Zimbabwe next week at Trent Bridge.

England will then host India in a five-match Test series, starting on 20 June at Headingley, and said he will only find out how his body copes with the intensity of international cricket.

Speaking to Sky Sports, Stokes said: "Training and playing are completely different: no matter what you do at training, you just cannot replicate the intensity that your body is put through in a game,

"As excited as I am to get back on the field, I do know that it is going to be completely different to what I've been doing in my training.

"But in terms of my role as a player, [being] that fourth seamer, batting at No. 6, and trying to dominate every situation that I find myself in, whether I've got the bat in my hand or the ball in my hand, is what I want to get back into doing out on the field, and trying to do it on the biggest stage.

"I know I've done it before, and it's something that I'm very, very confident in myself that I can do."

Stokes also warned his side not to overlook the contest against Zimbabwe with all eyes on the massive series against India ahead.

"Zimbabwe have got some seriously experienced cricketers," Stokes added. "They'll be desperate to come to England and turn us over, and what I can say is that I'm absolutely desperate for us to show that we are the better team on those four days."