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

Captain Virat Kohli will lead Team India in England for a blockbuster tour from July-September 2018 that will see our boys in blue play 3 T20Is, 3 ODIs and 5 Tests. Apart from the South Africa tour, this will be Kohli's first major overseas assignment as captain, and he will be raring to put on a good show.

While the squad for the Test series hasn't been named yet, regulars like Vijay, Pujara, Ashwin and Shami are set to be back. With limited places up for grabs, we take a look at 3 players who may just get a look-in for this crucial series:

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#1 Dinesh Karthik

Karthik's last test appearance was way back in 2009-10 against Bangladesh.

A year ago, if one had spoken about Dinesh Karthik being a contender for India's World Cup squad, he would have been scoffed at and made fun of. Fast forward 12 months, and not only is Karthik in the form of his life, but could also be India's solution to a keeper-batsman in the longest format of the game.

Following his heroics in the Nidahas Trophy final and a dream season with the bat for IPL team Kolkata Knight Riders, Karthik has earned himself a test recall against Afghanistan, owing to Wriddhiman Saha's injury.

This may well be the perfect, and final, opportunity for the 32-year-old veteran to put himself in contention for a spot in the Test squad, ahead of tours to England and Australia. Technically sound and composed at the crease, Karthik could be India's solution to the No. 5 position, where Rahane, Rohit and Saha have tried and failed to be consistent.

With regards to the England tour, Kohli will be keen to accommodate a pace battery of Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Bumrah and Umesh Yadav, which would mean picking only 6 batsmen. For all his wicket-keeping abilities, Saha has been disappointing with the bat, averaging only 30.63 from 46 innings with a shocking strike rate of 44.60.

Dinesh Karthik is good enough with the gloves, but what could see him picked ahead of Saha is his superior batting ability, apart from the fact that he has already toured England thrice before. If Karthik performs well against Afghanistan, and in the limited overs games against England, it may be enough to see him picked ahead of the returning Saha.

Karthik averages 43.83 in tests in England, and if picked could provide much-needed stability to a fragile middle order.

#2 Kuldeep Yadav

Kuldeep could be selected ahead of either Ashwin or Jadeja.

Kuldeep Yadav has gone from strength to strength ever since he made his international debut, and along with partner-in-crime Yuzvendra Chahal, he has firmly displaced stalwarts Jadeja and Ashwin from the limited-overs setup.

The spinner's variations in line and length, along with his aggressive instinct could be the perfect recipe for disaster, as far as the Englishmen are concerned, who are not known to be adept against spin. Kuldeep's bag of tricks could prove to be the X-factor that can swing the series in India's favor.

While Ashwin and Jadeja have been the go-to-men for a very long time, their numbers abroad make for sorry reading. Ashwin has 91 wickets abroad as compared to the 220 at home, with an average of 31.67 and strike rate of 60.42.

Ravindra Jadeja has a strike rate of 61.22 in tests, with an average of 23.74, but on pace-friendly pitches it would be extremely hard for him to trouble batsmen with his orthodox left-arm spin.

Although young Kuldeep has played only 4 tests thus far, he is a supremely confident and talented young cricketer, and always backs himself to pick wickets. The T20 and ODI series will give us a fair idea of whether India's latest spin wizard is capable of delivering on the big stage, under pressure and that too on pitches that don't assist spinners.

If Kuldeep were to impress, however, you can expect the selectors to pick him for the test series as well. With the ultra-aggressive Kohli as captain, Kuldeep may well give cricket fans a series to remember.

#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.