England vs India 2018: 3 Indian players who could have changed the outcome of the Test series

India's long tour of England finally came to an end with the host team clinching the ODI and Test series while the visitors won the T20I series. Every match turned out to be very competitive, and both the teams fought tooth and nail to win each match.

The Test series was the most anticipating contest, and as expected it was worthy of five-match series which provided entertainment throughout the tour. Though India lost the series by 4-1, the scoreline does not justify the competitiveness.

Every session in the Test had twists and turn with no team willing to give up. The Indian team failed to capitalize on some of the crucial moments which cost the series. The team missed some of the key players due to injury and many other reasons.

Let us find out these players who could have made a big impact in the series.

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#3 Ravindra Jadeja

Jadeja is the number three player in ICC Test rankings for both bowling and all-rounders.

Ravindra Jadeja had to warm the bench for almost four Tests before getting the opportunity in the last Test.

He made a sterling comeback with the four-wicket haul in the first innings and three-wicket haul in the second.

With the bat, he scored an invaluable 86 which proved crucial in getting closer to England's first innings target.

With England's pitches being relatively dry this time around, Jadeja could have made a huge difference if he had played from the first Test especially in Southampton and Edgbaston where the ball was turning nicely.

Besides, the margin of defeat was narrow in these venues where his contribution with the bat would have come in handy.

The Saurashtra all-rounder should have played in place of Hardik Pandya who's contribution besides the third Test was negligible.

Jadeja's absence did hurt India in the whole series and as a result, went on to lose the series in the fourth Test itself.

#2 Bhuvneshwar Kumar

Bhuvneshwar was the key player in the last tour of England

Bhuvneshwar Kumar had missed the entire Test series due to an injury, and it turned out to be a big blow for team India. In the last tour, he was the star performer where he performed exceptionally both with the bat and ball.

Indian bowling attack was the biggest positive in this series as they took 20 wickets in almost every Test.

The bowlers struggled to remove the tailenders which proved costly in the end. Bhuvneshwar's ability to remove the tail could have helped the team a great deal.

The lower order batting was also one of the big difference between the two teams. While England's tailenders contributed in crucial moments, the Indian lower order struggled to stay at the crease.

Bhuvneshwar could have been more than handy in these situations as he had scored four half-centuries in the last tour. His presence would have changed the course of the series in India's favor.

#1 Rohit Sharma

Rohit could have provided more solidity to the fragile middle-order.

India's batting came under a lot of criticism during the Test matches, and it was one of the main reasons why the team lost this series. Except for Virat Kohli, no other batsmen scored the runs consistently.

The middle order which was experienced in these conditions and considered to be the fulcrum of this batting order had a mediocre outing. Ajinkya Rahane and Cheteshwar Pujara were not consistent enough and had struggled most of the time during the series.

The Indian team should have gone with an extra batsman considering the seaming conditions and Rohit Sharma could have been the ideal fit.

He had the technique and also the experience to play in these conditions. He looked in great touch before the Test series and had scored centuries in both T20 and ODI series.

Rohit could have been handy in the batting line-up especially in first and fourth Test where the Indian team had marginally lost while chasing small totals in the last innings.