Joe Root believes a year of captaincy has given him the experience to move up the England batting order to the pivotal No.3 position for the two-Test series against Pakistan beginning on Thursday.
Since replacing Alastair Cook last year as Test captain, Root has batted at No.4 and juggled being leader and the batting mainstay.
Coach Trevor Bayliss believes England's best batsman should come at No.3 and the axing of James Vince for the Pakistan series has ensured Root's elevation.
"I think it's an opportunity for me to take on a bit more responsibility at the top of the order," Root said at the launch of England's 2018 kit.
"I've had a year in the captaincy now and I feel I've gained enough experience to feel comfortable doing that.
"For me, it was getting used to the captaincy and making sure I could separate the two; that my full focus was on my batting when it came around."
The England top order's struggle for consistency was evident in series defeats in Australia and New Zealand, as Gary Ballance, Tom Westley and Vince all failed to establish themselves at No.3.
Root's highest Test score of 254 came at three, in a 2016 Test against Pakistan.
"I did it (No.3) for one game in New Zealand and it didn't work out there but this is a great opportunity to do it at home and it's a great opportunity moving forward," Root said.
"Ultimately, nothing will change about the way I go about my batting. I will look to have that hunger and desire to make really big runs."
Wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow will bat at No.5 in a revamped batting order, while Jos Buttler, who has been in scintillating form in the Indian Premier League, has been selected as a specialist batsman at seven.
"He has done some very special things in one-day and T20 cricket and won games when he has been under pressure," Root said of Buttler.
"Now there is an opportunity for him to do that in Test cricket. I can see him putting a lot of bums on seats. That is very exciting for me. He can change a game in half-an-hour with the bat."
