3 players who could be surprise picks for India's Test XI vs England. 

#3 Ishant Sharma

Will Ishant be able to put his County experience to use?

The tall, lanky 30-year-old pacer will be the senior-most pro around if included in the Test squad, and Ishant’s experience of English conditions is expected to stand him in good stead.

In preparation for the tour, the stalwart has had a fruitful spell with Sussex, after not being picked for the IPL 2018 edition. Although the likes of Bhuvi, Bumrah and Yadav will be expected to start, a 5 match series means fatigue and injury could see Ishant get his chance.

On the previous tour, bowling short and aggressively with the old ball, Ishant produced one of the most memorable spells in the history of Indian fast bowling to destroy England's resistance in the second Investec Test at Lord's.

Ishant, who returned career-best figures of 7 for 74, invited comparisons with the brilliant spell in Perth in 2008 when he roughed up no less a player of fast bowling than Ricky Ponting and encouraged India's hopes that they had a great fast bowler to reckon with.

Although Ishant has never quite lived up to the hype, he will have a point to prove to his critics and improving his figures in England will be the first step. In 10 innings, Ishant has picked 25 wickets but the strike rate of 69.24 will be a cause for concern.

With India steadily developing an impressive pool of young fast bowlers, Ishant will be looking to seize this opportunity and prove why he has been around for such a long time. Fans can expect another fiery and combative performance from the speedster on a mission.