England vs India 2018: 3 Indian players who can debut in the fourth Test

After losing the first two Tests, it looked like the England vs India series was headed for a comfortable win for the hosts. But after an impressive Indian win in the third Test, the series is very much in the balance.

But despite their win, India will be aware that they have room for improvement in a variety of areas. A lot of Indian players have been disappointing throughout the series and changes are expected in the all-important fourth encounter between the two sides.

It is very possible that they can throw the hosts a curve ball and bring in a youngster into the first team. Here are 3 players who can make their debut in the fourth Test.

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#3 Shardul Thakur

Shardul Thakur could bring youth and fearlessness to the Indian pace attack.

Shardul Thakur can be brought into the line up to replace Mohammed Shami who struggled in the third Test. The right-arm medium pacer can bring some much-needed freshness into the Indian pace unit.

Thakur has already made his Indian debut in both T20 and One Day Internationals but is yet to feature in the longest format of the game.

Although Thakur has a reputation of being expensive at times, his form with Mumbai in the Ranji Trophy will raise expectations around him. He is the kind of bowler that India are lacking at the moment.

He has a habit of hitting the deck hard and generating pace and bounce on the ball. He also has the ability to swing the ball while maintaining a good amount of pace and is unpredictable most of the time. On his day, Thakur can be a problem to even the world's best batsmen.

#2 Hanuma Vihari

Vihari has been in great form on the domestic circuit

The Andhra-born batsman is seen as the successor to V.V.S. Laxman by many who have followed him throughout his career. Although he is yet to make his international debut for India in any format, his Ranji performances mean that there is a lot of hype surrounding the youngster.

He was the highest run scorer in the 2017/18 season of the Ranji Trophy and already has a triple century under his belt, which he scored against Odisha. Sunrisers Hyderabad were quick to realize his potential and picked him up back in 2013, although he didn't have a very successful IPL career.

Despite his undeniable talent, it is hard to see him replacing Cheteshwar Pujara or Ajinkya Rahane in this Indian team. But if he does, do not be surprised to see him get a big score.

#1 Prithvi Shaw

Big things are expected from Prithvi Shaw

The 18-year-old prodigy is often compared to Sachin Tendulkar for his playing style. And Tendulkar is considered a 'God' in India. So the fact that he is compared to Tendulkar should tell you how highly he is regarded in the cricket community.

Opening has been a reason for concern throughout the series for Team India. Neither Shikhar Dhawan nor KL Rahul have been able to nail down their position in the starting line up. And Murali Vijay has already been sent home after his disastrous performances. This might be the perfect opportunity to give the highly rated 18-year-old a chance in the first team.

Shaw has already shown that he can take on the best bowlers in the world in the IPL this year. But the question is, can he do it in the oldest format of the game?