Cricket icon VVS Laxman will oversee the Indian team's preparation for the first Test against England in the absence of head coach Gautam Gambhir, media reports said.

According to media reports, Gambhir left for India just ahead of the start of the first Test to tend to his mother's ill health.

Laxman, who heads the National Cricket Academy (NCA), is already in London ahead of India Under-19s’ month-long tour of the United Kingdom, reported RevSportz.

Apart from serving the academy, Laxman also acts as the coach of the Under-19 and A teams

In Gambhir’s absence, he also guided a second-string India team in a T20 series in South Africa late last year, the news portal reported.

It is still not clear when Gambhir will join the Indian squad.India will take on England in the five-match Test series under new captain Shubman Gill.

The team will be heavily dependent on young batters like Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rishabh Pant in absence of stalwarts Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, who retired from Tests ahead of the England series.

The series will begin in Leeds on June 20.