IND vs ENG 2022: 3 Indian players who must make the most of the opportunity they get

(L-R): Shubman Gill, Hanuma Vihari & Mohammad Siraj. (P.C.:BCCI)

India's 2-1 lead in their series against England gives them almost no psychological advantage going into the final Test at Edgbaston. This is because the hosts are no longer the team that struggled to score heaps of runs in the fourth innings of a Test.

Under Ben Stokes' new captaincy and the coaching of Brendon McCullum, England's brittle batting has transformed into an entertaining force to reckon with. The likes of Joe Root, Ollie Pope and Jonny Bairstow have turned into absolute beasts after their flurry of runs against New Zealand.

The visitors have their own problems as they are plagued with injuries and poor form due to lack of practice. They have played a practice game against Leicestershire, but that is certainly not enough going into the Birmingham Test.

But in these tricky times, there are also some players who will get a golden opportunity to thrive and prove why they deserve a place in the Indian Test team for a long time. Here are three of them:

#3 Shubman Gill

If we had a strong foundation base in Pujara & one of the greatest finishes in the form of Pant, we must also remember the brilliant counterattack at the top of the order.

The magic of Gabba will always be incomplete without your brilliance, @ShubmanGill❤️https://t.co/a8JSazHZ3A

Shubman Gill had an impressive start to his Test career after hitting a half-century in his second Test in Sydney in 2021. He did make another important contribution in that series against Australia with his 91 runs at the Gabba to help India secure a series win.

But gradually, injuries and inconsistency kept Gill out of the Indian Test team. This period coincided with KL Rahul's brilliant comeback at the top of the order. It was then him and Rohit Sharma who became India's first-choice Test openers.

But an injury to KL Rahul and Mayank Agarwal's inconsistent form could pave the way to a great opportunity for Gill. After a successful IPL 2022 season, the youngster will be keen to replicate his form in the one-off Test and once again reclaim his spot in the team.

#2 Hanuma Vihari

🙌 | 𝐕𝐢𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐢 𝐡𝐢𝐭𝐬 𝐉𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐣𝐚 𝐟𝐨𝐫 6️⃣!

@Hanumavihari advances down the track and lofts over long off for six.

🦊 LEI 143/3

🦊 #IndiaTourMatch | #LEIvIND | #TeamIndia https://t.co/6UhS4ZkFwd

Hanuma Vihari had to wait for a really long time to get a consistent run of chances in India's Test team. He was always the backup to mainstays like Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane. Once the duo were dropped for the Sri Lanka Tests earlier this year, Vihari became India's top choice at No. 3.

But with Pujara's sensational county form, it will be interesting to see if Vihari regains his No. 3 spot. Vihari has played as a makeshift opener in the past. He could possibly be used in that role again in the absence of Rahul and probably Rohit.

Whatever happens, Vihari has shown in the past that he is versatile enough to bat in any situation and will be keen to carry on the good form that he showed against Sri Lanka.

#1 Mohammad Siraj

Mohammed Siraj rattles Jimmy Anderson's stumps as India complete their iconic victory at Lord's, 2021, bowling England out in under 60 overs to pull of one of the greatest test wins for India. https://t.co/HLNI0EdxrA

One of the bowlers probably under pressure at the moment is Mohammad Siraj. The 28-year-old made his Test debut in Australia in 2020 alongside Gill and hasn't looked back ever since.

With his consistent performances, Siraj was able to at times displace Ishant Sharma as the third-choice pacer in Tests after Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammad Shami. He even played a crucial role in India's historic win at Lord's last year.

However, he had a disastrous IPL campaign this year for the Royal Challengers Bangalore. In 15 games, he picked up just nine wickets and leaked runs at the rate of 10.08 per over.

Many feel Prasidh Krishna should replace the out-of-form Siraj for the one-off Test. If Siraj gets the opportunity, he needs to perform well to keep his place in the team intact.