Cricket: Australia vs India - Test Series

[kevshat]

Australia's main test series of their international summer begins on Boxing Day (Xmas night) as they take on India in a four test series. With India taking a full strength squad there and Australia desperate for a series win this one should be a cracking series. As always all four matches are live on Sky and this should be a series with some good cricket and plenty of betting potential. Schedule:

Mon Dec 26 - Fri Dec 30 23:30 GMT (prev day) | 10:30 local 23:30 GMT -1d	1st Test - Australia v India Melbourne Cricket Ground	17 - 26° C
Tue Jan 3 - Sat Jan 7 23:30 GMT (prev day) | 10:30 local 23:30 GMT -1d	2nd Test - Australia v India Sydney Cricket Ground	N/A
Fri Jan 13 - Tue Jan 17 02:30 GMT | 10:30 local 02:30 GMT	3rd Test - Australia v India Western Australia Cricket Association Ground, Perth	N/A
Tue Jan 24 - Sat Jan 28 00:00 GMT | 10:30 local 00:00 GMT	4th Test - Australia v India Adelaide Oval	N/A

[Tyler]

Re: Cricket: Australia vs India - Test Series I can't actually wait for this series. Probably won't be able to get these up before the start so getting involved now. Two outrights for me. - 6pts India Series Draw No Bet @ 5/4 [skybet] Australia are going to meet their match here. Their team is way too unsettled for me to even contemplate backing them in this series and the quality, experience and the all-round cohesive-ness of the mighty Indians make them the play here for sure. Let's take Australia's "strong point", which happens to be a very average bowling attack. Are Pattinson, Siddle, Hilfenhaus, Starc and Lyon really going to consistently take 20 wickets against a Top 7 that include some of the best batsmen to ever grace the game? I'll let you answer that one. Now their batting. Phil Hughes isn't here but he's replaced by Ed Cowan.... David Warner is a top player, there's no doubting that, however he's massively inexperienced. Marsh, Ponting, Clarke and Hussey make up the middle order and well the first two don't fill me with the most amount of confidence ever. This is a very important series for Haddin at seven too. In my reading ahead of this series, a few say he's on borrowed time. An unsettled-ish batting line-up with a mediocre bowling attack doesn't bode well for the Aussies. India come, well rested and seemingly at full fitness. Personally, I don't necessarily agree with the dropping of Harbhajan Singh but Ojha is not a completely shit replacement. We all know how key Zaheer is to this team and Ishant Sharma had a stormer here in 2003. There is all this talk about how they may not be fit for the start of this game but I think it's all mind games. Those two with the young Varun Aaron should provide some potency up early for the Indians. The batting line-up of Sehwag, Gambhir, Dravid, Tendulkar, Laxman, Dhoni and probably Viray Kohli is just emotional. Ashwin is an inexperienced spinner, but his mystique should cause enough problems to these Aussies who probably haven't faced him a whole lot. Two wins for India see no money lost here and i think that'll be the case. - 2pts Top Australia Series Batsman: Michael Clarke @ 3/1 [Ladbrokes] Excellent player of spin. Excellent under pressure. Clarke is my pick for this series most definitely. I dont think Warner, Marsh or a declining Ponting will pose much of a threat to top run scorer as explained above so I think it will be between Clarke and Hussey. Hussey may be a bit too low at 6 though to snag top overall batsmen. He has great records at the grounds these matches are being held at too which will leave him in good stead. The captaincy hasn't really affected his batting too much since he got elected so i'll play at 3/1 here at Ladbrokes. It's 5/2 generally elsewhere.

[Tyler]

Re: Cricket: Australia vs India - Test Series One for the first test: - 4pts Player Performance: Ricky Ponting Under 89 @ 5/6 [bet365] Haven't got a lot of time for this but Ponting is a man in decline, as much as I hate to say it. He is defintiely not the player he used to be which is a shame because in his prime he was truly amazing. His record at the MCG isn't fantastic. He has played here 14 times in Test Matches and has only reached 89 points 4 times. In '08 he scored two scores of 101 and 99 in the match but excluding those we have only one score above 50 in his last eight innings here. His 11 innings in 2011 have yielded two fifties and five innings below 20! He could be in before lunch tomorrow and he's always been a notoriously bad starter of an innings. Unders for the great man for me.

[Lahrio]

Re: Cricket: Australia vs India - Test Series J. Pattinson - Top Australian Series Bowler @ 3.5 (Sportsbet) He has taken two 5WI in his first two Test matches, admittedly against NZ, although you can only play what's in front of you. He's in good form, and should be playing in all four matches barring injury. Peter Siddle just doesn't do enough with the ball to threaten world-class batsman in my opinion. Hilfenhaus is probably his main competition, but is injury prone. I am also tempted to take D. Warner in the Australian Series Batsman markets. He is in great form scoring 3 centuries since the start of November, as well as becoming the first ever batsman to score back-to-back centuries in T20's a few months ago. 5/1 odds with Ladbrokes are tempting me!

[kevshat]

Re: Cricket: Australia vs India - Test Series 4 series bets for me here. 4pts India to win Test Series 15/8 Stan James 1pt India to win 3-1 20/1 Blue Square I think India are a cracking price to win the series here. Just like in the Ashes last year Australia still have plenty of issues and the main ones appear to be the reluctance to drop their big name but misperforming batsmen. Just like last year they come into this series with a heavily misfiring batting line up and a weak bowling attack in the absence of Mitchell Johnson and Ryan Harris. New Zealand deservedly drew the test series against the Aussies earlier in the month and I think India have every chance here. More than every chance in fact. They appear to have learnt the lesson from their tour of England and have put a load of solid seam options in their squad. One of those is Zaheer Khan and if he is fit for the whole series this India side take on a totally new complexion. Umesh Yadav looks like a quality find while the likes of Ishant Sharma is more than capable on these Australian wickets. This India batting line up is loaded with class. Sehwag and Gambhir can be formidable while the wall, Sachin and Laxman have to be as secure and strong a middle order as possible. Virat Kohli, MS Dhoni and R Ashwin are all solid with the bat and I really believe the strength of this settled Indian side and the quality that is in it is enough to win this series. There's a lot of talk that the wickets in this series will be bowler friendly so I don't anticipate too many draws in the series. The four venues used in this series all had results in them last year and I see four results here. I'll give the Aussies one - maybe Perth, but I believe India can sweep the rest. 2pts M.Clarke Top Australia Series Batsman 4/1 Ladbrokes Michael Clarke has been the only real mainstay of the Aussie side who has shown any kind of form with the bat in recent weeks and what I like most about him in this series is playing spin will be a huge part of the plan and he's the best by far in the Australian side at playing spin. Not only is he in decent form at the minute but as captain he is really leading by example too. His ton in the Cape Town test was one of the best tons I've seen for a long while and he followed that up with another at Brisbane against New Zealand. He's by far and away the form man and to be quite honest he's the only one who looks certain to play all four matches, injury permitting so it's Clarke for me. 2pts R.Ashwin Top India Series Bowler 10/3 Stan James R Ashwin comes into this series as India's number one spinner for me, for as much that he can bat over his bowling but his bowling is very good nevertheless. I expect India to rotate their seamers in this series because the matches come thick and fast but Ashwin should remain a constant throughout. The Aussies aren't the best at playing spin which will give Ashwin an advantage and he's already been in the wickets in the warm up matches. Zaheer Khan would rate as the obvious danger but if he has to rest for a match then that will hamper him greatly so with the security of four matches I'll take Ashwin to lead the Indian bowling charts in this series.

[kevshat]

Re: Cricket: Australia vs India - Test Series And 4 to begin with in the first test. As it's Xmas Day and the toss is soon I'll keep write up's short but I want to take on the Aussies. It's a shame sportingbet haven't priced up the both to bat on day 1 bet :( 4pts R.Ponting's Performance Pts - Under 89 5/6 Bet365 Points are scored as follows: 1pt per run, 10pts per catch & 20pts per wicket. It's well documented how long Ricky Ponting has gone without a ton now and I think the burden of that is starting to show. Against New Zealand he was all over the place and even walked off before an lbw decision was made for one of his dismissals. India have enough pace and swing in their bowling attack to keep him on the hop here so I expect at least one failure from him in this match but two could easily be a reality. He won't take that many catches to move this total over the 89 mark if he fails twice so this line looks too big to me. 3pts India 1st Inns Lead 6/5 Bet365 India's lengthy batting line up and more confident and in form batting line up look good to me to outscore a patched up and dramatically out of form Australian batting line up first time around. I'm far from convinced with this Australian bowling attack. It all looks a bit samey to me. Sure Pattinson gets a bit of extra bounce but they are all mid 80mph and other than the early stages with Hilfenhaus none of them do much unless the wicket really assists. At times against New Zealand this Australian attack looked toothless on helpful wickets and if New Zealand are making them look toothless India certainly will. I think the India attack will keep an out of form Aussie batting line up honest and with Australia remembering they were gubbed for 98 on this ground last year they may try too hard to impress and fall the other way. Lots of factors in this one but India look good to lead after the first innings. 3pts V.Laxman (+2.5 runs) to beat M.Hussey (1st Inns Only) 5/6 Ladbrokes Once again Mike Hussey is in danger of losing his place in the side and needs a real score. He didn't score more than 15 in any of his three innings against New Zealand and looked very low on confidence to me. Laxman averages a shade under 55 in Australia and a lot more against the same opposition at home. He comes into this test having hit 176 not out against the West Indies last month so his confidence is high and I expect him to beat Hussey here but I'll happily take the 2.5 run head start too. 0.5pts ew P.Siddle Top Australia Batsman (1st Inns Only) 66/1 Coral (1/5 1,2,3) Peter Siddle top scored in the first innings against New Zealand in Hobart and there's nothing to suggest the top order will go any better here other than the fact that this should be a better wicket albeit still a bit of a green wicket. Siddle is batting at 8 these days so he'll get a fair chunk of crease time and at this price especially having top scored in Hobart and going close a couple of times against England last year particularly here where he came 3rd both times. 66/1 is a big price and well worth a throwaway point to see how he fares with the willow first time around.

[Lahrio]

Re: Cricket: Australia vs India - Test Series P. Siddle - Top Aus 1st Innings Batsman @ 101.00 (Sportsbet) In an order that is susceptible to collapsing badly, I will be putting small stakes on Siddle to top score for the Australians. In the series against SA and NZ, two of the Australian tail-enders have managed to top score (Lyon and Siddle), and I'll take 100/1 with small stakes for that to happen again. R. Ponting - under 32.5 runs (1st Inn only) @ 1.90 (Betchoice) R. Ponting - under 89 points @ 1.83 (Bet365) Similar to what Tyler mentioned above, I just can't trust Ponting to get past the start of his innings anymore. He has always been vulnerable at the start of his innings throughout his career, and with his form in decline I think these are pretty good bets. As was mentioned above, he has been getting out fairly regularly for scores of under 20. Ponting hasn't scored a triple figures score in almost two years now.

[Tyler]

Re: Cricket: Australia vs India - Test Series I had a 'mare. For some reason I put 3/1 twice on my Michael Clarke write-up. It's definitely 4/1. One in play bet for me. Haven't done any in-play betting since the Ashes last year, so let's see how this goes: - 6pts Australia Innings Runs: Under 380.5 @ 5/6 [bet365] Ishant and Zaheer have found their lengths early on. Warner has scored a few quick runs but he got so lucky with that inside edge. Ishant has himbacking deep into his crease and Cowan looks like a nervous wreck. It's only a matter of time before these two get separated and when it does, this line will come right in. Shaun Marsh at #3 has buckets of talent, but likewise, he'll be shitting his pants. Under 381 runs for me. Moderate stake.

[seanV]

Re: Cricket: Australia vs India - Test Series Siddle :O

[Tyler]

Re: Cricket: Australia vs India - Test Series

LOSS - 4pts Player Performance: Ricky Ponting Under 89 @ 5/6 [bet365] WIN - 6pts Australia Innings Runs: Under 380.5 @ 5/6 [bet365]

Ponting turned it on in much to the detriment of my player performance tip. The one in-play bet brings everything to +2.00 for the series. Sydney starts tonight, I think its Sachin's time. - 3pts India to win the Second Test @ 5/2 [bluesq] India have played ten Test Matches at Sydney and won one. They lost the 1st Test last week (as they always do) and come against this unchanged yet inexperienced Australian side brimming with confidence. Despite all this, I don't really know why the odds on India are THIS generous to win this weekend and I am fully behind them. As I briefly touched on just there, India generally always chase away series that they play in. They always lose the first test and bounce back. Barring their 4-0 whitewash at the hands of England in the summer, they have "bounced back" in their previous three test series away from the sub-contintent. Australia's statistical record here is good but that doesn't really represent the true nature of their record here. India really should have won that infamous test here four years ago and England BATTERED them here last year. THE SCG apparently will play into the quicks hands here according to the curator. It is also historically a good track to bat on. I was mightily impressed with Umesh Yadav in Melbourne and with Zaheer also doing what Zaheer does best, it looks promising from an Indian perspective. It's only a matter of time before Ishant finds his range. Whilst the Australian bowlers also had a good outing last week, India pack some of the best batsmen in history and some of their records here are just disrespectful. VVS Laxman has three centuries at the SCG in three Test Matches (avg of 96.20) whereas Tendulkar goes one better with 3 centuries and a 50 with an average of 221.60!! More on him later. The difference between the two sides was the batting from India in the 1st Test. However, India's last six wickets in the 1st innings fell for something mad like 80 runs. That doesn't happen often and I'm sure won't happen again. I fancy India to bounce back here and I am more than willing to jump on at 5/2 - 2pts Top India Batsman (1st Innings Only): Sachin Tendulkar @ 4/1 [Ladbrokes] - 4pts Batsman Matchbet: Tendulkar +3.5 vs. Ricky Ponting @ 5/6 Tendulkar loves Sydney. He has played four tests here and scored his scores read the following: 148*, 45, 4, 241*, 60*, 154* and 12. Madness. Everyone is waiting on the elusive 100th hundred and the stats genuinely say there is a better chance of it coming here than anywhere else. VVS Laxman has a good record here too, however his recent form is an issue. Tendulkar looked in good touch in the first test, top-scoring in both innings. Ponting also looked in good touch, but his recent record (last four years) has been far from impressive. I should point out that from '03 to '06, Ricky scored a ridiculous amount of runs here, however since then his scores read: 45, DNB; 55, 1; 0, 53; 0, 11. Far from great and more importantly, two ducks in the 1st innings of the last two tests here. If he snags another duck, Tendulkar wont even have to score for that bet to come in. Sachin is my man here. Most definitely. - 4pts First Innings Lead: India @ 6/5 [WillHill] I don't really need to add to much to what I've alread said for this bet. India suffered an unusual collapse in the 1st Innings in Melbourne which wont happen too often. Australia haven't really performed here in recent years too. Three of the last four matches at Sydney have seen them concede a 1st Innings Lead and I am more than content with the bowlers at India's disposal to stem the runs from Australia. Michael Clarke's toss record is awful, if India win the toss, I expet them to put Australia into bat and I would not be overly surprised to see both teams bat on Day 1. The pitch should flatten out over the course of the test match and with some of the records the Indian batsmen have here, I sense India to take this one.

[kevshat]

Re: Cricket: Australia vs India - Test Series +1.10 for the first test. Taking four for this 2nd test. 4pts India (+39.5 runs) 1st Inns Lead 10/11 Sportingbet I think this handicap is a little too much for Australia to cover. India really should have taken a first innings lead in Melbourne last week but a couple of silly shots and a decent spell from Hilfenhaus meant they finished 51 behind. Usually India come on for the run to use racing terms and with the record their batsmen have on this ground, particularly their big 3 in that middle order, I expect India to be a lot stronger with the bat. Australia still looked a shambles with the bat in the first test even without Phil Hughes and Usman Khawaja. They didn't play the pace of Yadav too well and I don't think they played Ashwin all that well either. Ashwin should be more of a threat here as should the canny mixes of pace and variety that Zaheer Khan brings. Australia may still lead in the first innings but I think it will take a major knock by someone which just doesn't look like coming and even then I still don't think it will be by 40 so I'll take India with the 39 run start. 4pts R.Ashwin's Performance Pts - 111&Over 5/6 Bet365 Points are scored as follows: 1pt per run, 10pts per catch & 20pts per wicket. R Ashwin had a decent enough first test taking 4 wickets and scoring over 60 runs and I would expect him to go just as well here if not better. While Sydney is slowly losing it's reputation as a spinners paradise it's still not bad for the spinner and the way the Aussie batsmen play spin I still expect Ashwin to be among the wickets. It wouldn't surprise me if he covers this with the ball but if he doesn't he can easily cover what is left of the target with the bat. He's often fielding at places like mid off and mid on so he might grab a bonus catch or two but I think with the bat and the ball he'll have enough to cover 111pts. 3pts E.Cowan (+1.5 runs) to beat G.Gambhir (1st Inns Only) 5/6 Ladbrokes Gautam Gambhir looked awful in the first test. He looked as bad as I've ever seen him I think. I don't know if he was taking on the mantra of Phil Hughes or something but usually his strength is knowing where his off stump is but I don't think he'd have known at the MCG if you'd painted a line on the floor in flourescent paint. He looks to have problem with the bounce and when you have issues with where your off stump is the slips await. It's hard to say how Ed Cowan's first test went. He scratched around for a long time in the first innings, tucked in when India lost the plot for an hour on the first day and then went back to scratching around but technically he looked good which is half the battle. He'll be on his home ground here so that should give him something of a boost and I think he'll stay within a run of Gambhir if not actually beat him. 1pt ew P.Siddle Top Australia Batsman (1st Inns Only) 66/1 Ladbrokes (1/5 1,2,3) At one point it looked like Siddle would top score in the first innings at Melbourne but he got a good ball from Zaheer at the wrong time as far as we were concerned. He looked good with the bat though both in defence and attack and that leads me to having another go here because so many of his colleagues look a shambles in defence at the minute. Even their main batsmen of the last few months in Michael Clarke only averages in the mid 20's here so I don't see 3 men blowing Siddle out of the water. With Australia unchanged Siddle will bat at 8 and there's no reason why he can't go well again. If his top order have failed then he'll have every chance of not only placing but top scoring and at 66/1 I'll have another pop at seeing how close he goes.

[Crouch Potato]

Re: Cricket: Australia vs India - Test Series Ashwin Top Indian Batsman (2nd Inns) 50/1 Bet365 The Indians have really struggled with the bat so far this tour and in the second innings this may again be the case. Ashwin is a more than capable batsman who got a test century prior to this tour and he fell just 2 runs shy of top bat in the 2nd innings last test. If the top order fails again he has the shots and aggressive attitude to pick up quick runs, which is often the way lower order players can achieve this feat. Being a 2nd innings runs should be harder to come by, and given Ashwin has a first class average over 35, I am happy to call this one value.

[Tyler]

Re: Cricket: Australia vs India - Test Series This is catastrophic.

[Spooner]

Just a quick one before they start, I've taken Gambhir next man out v Tendulkar, a good wicket this is but Gambhir hasn't been in good nick and although he made 68 yesterday that wasn't without a bit of luck, he has to get himself back in here and I can see him losing his wicket before Tendulkar does. Would of like 4/5 but have settled for 6pts @ 8/11Ladbrokes

[Tyler]

Re: Cricket: Australia vs India - Test Series The only positive that can possibly be taken from that Test Match was the fact that Michael Clarke has now established a 105 run lead in the Series Run Scorer market for Australia. Judging by the way things have gone for me so far in this series, I wouldn't be surprised if he let that lead slip however. Ahead of this third test then and I have to say that not a lot is jumping out at me. I still think that India have something to give. Despite everything that has gone on getting almost 3/1 on a team that contains some of the best players to ever grace the sport is a nice bet. Australia obviously hold the upper hand but at 8/11, I can't get on them. Even the side markets hold nothing for me. Bet365 have expertly avoided all the seamers on their player performances which isn't much help and all the rest either price me out or don't entice me at all. No bet for me this week. I just hope India turn it round and Michael Clarke continues his assault.

[kevshat]

Re: Cricket: Australia vs India - Test Series The last test was a bit of a shambles for me and with the two outrights going I'm -11.40 for the series now. I'll take 5 for the Perth test which begins in a few hours. 4pts Australia (-44.5 runs) 1st Inns Lead 5/6 Sportingbet Australia have dominated this series and there's way too many signs in the Indian performance that this series could go the same way as the one in England did last year. Their batsmen as a collective unit haven't been able to handle the bounce the Australian bowlers have achieved and India's bowling attack has looked tame at the best of times really even with Zaheer Khan in it. It sounds like conditions won't be suiting India here in Perth. All the talk is of a green grassy wicket and we know from past experiences that pace and bounce are a given on this ground. Australia have an insanely good record here as England found out last year when it looked like Australia were the best team in the world and we were an overrated sack of shit. That obviously wasn't the case though it just showed how at home in these conditions Australia are. There are signs that Australia will go in with an all seam attack here and although India were up to it in 2008 I've seen nothing both in this series so far or the one in England which proceeded it which suggests India will be competitive in these conditions this time around. I think Australia will cover this total for the 3rd time in the series. 4pts R.Ashwin's Performance Pts - Under 111 5/6 Bet365 Points are scored as follows: 1pt per run, 10pts per catch & 20pts per wicket. Perth isn't really much of a place for spinners and if the wicket is as green and grassy as it is meant to be then I would be surprised if Ashwin bowled much let alone took any wickets. He didn't get anything going in Sydney when conditions suited him so I don't see him being among the wickets here in Perth. He can bat and bat very effectively but I doubt he'll be hitting 111 runs in these conditions. I would be surprised if he takes more than 2 wickets in the match and I wouldn't make him a 5/6 shot to score 72 runs so this line looks a touch on the high side to me and I'll gladly take the unders. 4pts M.Clarke (-5.5 runs) to beat VVS Laxman (1st Inns Only) 5/6 Ladbrokes Apparently VVS Laxman is staying in the side for this match which surprises me but in terms of betting it pleases me at the same time. He has looked so poor against the seamers in this series it's been untrue and Michael Clarke missed a huge trick when he brought Nathan Lyon on shortly after Laxman came to the crease in the second innings in Sydney. That gave Laxman the time to get himself in and he played well after that but the other 3 innings showed up his issues against the seamers and Australia are meant to be going in with 4 seamers here. They can all get the ball to nip away so I wouldn't be at all surprised if Laxman gets out cheaply on this wicket. Michael Clarke comes into this match off the back of a terrific unbeaten triple century and while he won't score that many again I do expect him to get some kind of a start and that might well be enough. The Australian captain could hardly be in better form at the minute and his form combined with Laxman's poor form makes me believe Clarke will win this match by 6 runs first time around. 1pt ew R.Ashwin Top India Batsman (1st Inns Only) 33/1 Coral (1/5 1,2,3) Slightly going against my earlier bet but there's enough space in that performance line for Ashwin to top score in the first innings and still fall under the total. I wouldn't be surprised if a score less than 50 is good enough to top score in this innings. It was in the first innings at Sydney even though Dhoni eventually got more than 50, he had top scored by then. Ashwin showed enough in the first test to suggest he can bat and we saw it properly in the second innings there. If someone can hang around with him here then in an innings which I expect to end in a low total Ashwin can not only place here but actually top score too. 2pts R.Harris Top Australia Bowler (1st Inns Only) 3/1 William Hill Ryan Harris will return for Australia in this match and he will take the new ball with Ben Hilfenhaus I would expect. James Pattinson is injured so Harris is replacing him and he's doing so on a ground where he took 9 wickets in the test match in the Ashes last year. In fact throughout that series he looked a quality bowler and while injuries have affected him since there's enough evidence in the cricket he has played that he is still a danger. With the greenness and grass in this wicket I think Harris' style of bowling could be perfectly suited to the wicket and at 3/1 I think he could do the damage Pattinson has been doing and lead the Australia wicket chart in India's 1st innings in this match.

[Crouch Potato]

I took Ryan Harris to get MOTM at 13s with PP. With Pattinson out Harris is clearly the most talented quick on the team and with Australia bowling first with grass on the pitch I think he is in with a great shout. Took 9 wickets here last game so is well suited to the ground.

[Crouch Potato]

Re: Cricket: Australia vs India - Test Series Indian 2nd Inns Hi Bat Zaheer Khan @ 101 Sportsbet/Paddy India have been a shambles lately and you would have to think there's a chance they will collapse again. If they do I can see a lower order player getting the honours and with 3 test 50's and a highest score of 75 I think Khan warrants a go at these odds. Vinay Kumar @ 101 Sportingbet India have been a shambles lately and you would have to think there's a chance they will collapse again. If they do I can see a lower order player getting the honours and with 5 First Class 50's and coming in at 8 I think there's value at these odds.

[CzechPunter]

Re: Cricket: Australia vs India - Test Series Australia Over 497.5 Runs @ 1.83 with Bet365 Considering they are 149/0 at this point and the pitch is playing lovely, some Aussies will certainly fancy their chances to get some records and hundreds against this pretty bland Indian attack. They made about 650/4 the other day, so 498 does not look like an unachievable target to me, especially with Indian morale so low.

[CzechPunter]

Re: Cricket: Australia vs India - Test Series Well that did not work out. Cowan 74, Warner 180. And then the "experienced guys" - Ponting 7, Clarke 18, Haddin 0. Clearly not what I was expecting. In all honesty, Australia is getting way too much praise for nothing here. Without the two openers, they scored 115/8. Is that really that spectacular? Without the two openers, India scored 130/8, so how is Australia DOMINATING India here?

[Tyler]

Re: Cricket: Australia vs India - Test Series Series has been a bit of a shit one for myself but the Clarke outright is still running and Sportingbet could, could, just could turn it around for me. - More than 4 wickets to Fall on Day 1: Yes @ EVS [sportingbet] The problem with me and my results in gambling boils right down to my discipline. I always bet impulsively when I don't really want to and it's those bets that usually bring down my overall +/-. Last week though I broke my discipline and took this bet in the England/India series when it was priced at 1.50. It came in. It's now priced at 2.00 and I have no issues with getting right back on it. The 4th Test starts tomorrow in Adelaide in what is said to be a haven for batsman whoever steps up there. The weather is scheduled for searing sun across all five days and India have a relatively decent record at this particular venue. In regards to this bet though, we have to look at the stats. Assuming that there is no rain delays tomorrow and India pick up their woeful over rate, we should get at least 80 overs in tomorrow which means we need five wickets coming better than one every sixteen overs. I have looked back at all the 1st innings scores in the last eight tests here at Adelaide and seen when the fifth wicket fell. They fell at these times: - Australia 156/5 @ 54.5 overs. - West Indies 239/5 @ 62.6 overs. - New Zealand 200/5 @ 60.2 overs. - India 282/5 @ 73.3 overs. - England 489/5 @ 151.6 overs. - West Indies 237/5 @ 64.2 overs. - Australia 444/5 @ 121.5 overs. - Australia 390/5 @ 88.1 overs. The ones in bold represent all the times in the last 8 tests at Adelaide when the 5th wicket fell. 6 times in the last 8 tests. More importantly, the last four straight have seen 5 wickets fall with AT LEAST 10 overs still to play. If India bat 1st tomorrow, I am sure Aus will run through their shaky top order. I guess the fear here is that Australia bat first and two of their in-form top order but on a mammoth partnership and India toil in the field. Despite that though, there should be something early up for the quicks with a new cherry and I five wickets in 80+ overs isn't that far out of anyone's reach. I had this in Dubai last week on a pitch which was meant to be a complete road. Five wickets fell by lunch. Cricinfo tell us that since the Test here in 2000, a wicket falls roughly every 45.68 runs in the 1st innings with a scoring rate at 3.37. If we get 85 overs tomorrow at that scoring rate, we get 286 runs, divide that by the number of runs in between wickets and we get an average of 6.27 wickets on Day 1. More than happy to be on this at EVS.

[Tyler]

Re: Cricket: Australia vs India - Test Series Australia are too long for me: - 5pts Australia to win the 4th Test @ EVS [sportingbet] I suppose I have to get on this at the above price. Australia have been better than India in all the facets of the game this series and going into Adelaide, I can only see a repeat performance. India have looked horribly shaky with the bat; infact they've only scored above 300 runs once in the three matches they've played which simply is not good enough at this level. They're bowling has not fired, they lack any real potency even with the presence of Zaheer and Ashwin hasn't found his feet with the ball yet for me. Australia on the other hand have several players in great form and will look to wrap up this series 4-0. They're full of confidence and go against this Indian side with no Dhoni. That's India without the best no. 7 in the world and India without their inspirational captain. Wriddiman Saha isn't a useless player by any means but he comes into this high profile game with no experience and will be under the leadership of Virender Sehwag who is struggling himself. Australia for me, most definitely.

[kevshat]

Re: Cricket: Australia vs India - Test Series 6 for me in this final test. If Australia have a shocker I could be in trouble but here we go. 4pts Australia to win 4th Test Evs William Hill I think Even money is a good price on Australia in this test. I know India haven't lost in their last two matches here but they had a decent record in Sydney and got rolled over and with their captain banned for this match I just don't see them getting close here. Saha will come in for Dhoni and while he's no mug with the bat he's no Dhoni either and Dhoni was one of the players in this Indian line up who were going along ok in this series. Sehwag will skipper the side but it's not ideal that India will be led by a man who has barely found a run in this series. Although Ashwin returns for this match India will have a weaker batting line up whereas Australia are still as strong as they have been in the series so far. Australia have outbowled, outbatted and outfielded India in the series so far and just as England did last summer I expect Australia to win this series 4-0 with a win here. 5pts Australia (-54.5 runs) 1st Inns Lead 5/6 Sportingbet As I've said above India's batting is weakened without Dhoni even though Ashwin is fit. Australia have covered this line in the last two matches and I see no reason why it won't be covered in this match too. Clarke, Ponting, Hussey and Warner have all made solid runs in the series and Cowan too while only really Tendulkar and I guess Gambhir and Ashwin have made real runs in this series. This Australia bowling attack has been all over India's batsmen throughout the series and that's what I expect to continue here. India's bowlers have looked mundane in the last couple of tests and with their batsmen struggling too I think Australia will lead the first innings by at least 55. 4pts R.Ashwin's Performance Pts - 110&Over 5/6 Bet365 Points are scored as follows: 1pt per run, 10pts per catch & 20pts per wicket. R Ashwin hasn't had the series he would have liked with the ball but the longer this match goes the more this wicket will turn which should bring Ashwin into the game. I think we'll be in with this performance if he can take 3 wickets in the match because I expect him to score 50 runs on this wicket the way he has batted in the series so far. With catches possible too he may not even need 3 wickets. He can cover this total with the bat and with the ball so I'm happy to be on the overs here. 4pts Over 4 wickets to fall on day 1 Evs Sportingbet It's very rare in test cricket these days that 4 wickets don't fall in a day. A lot more shots are played these days and this series particularly has seen a lot of green wickets prepared. I think there will be something in this wicket for the bowlers on the opening day. England shot Australia out on the opening day here last year and generally the wicket is better for batting on in days 2 and 3 before it starts to turn and go a bit up and down. Even when Australia have been on top in this series the Indians have generally fought back well with the ball apart from in Sydney when they were bowling on a road and even then they had Australia 3 down early before a couple of freak partnerships. I'm confident India will take 5 wickets today. 2pts Both teams to bat on Day 1 9/2 Sportingbet Similar to above really. There was more value in this bet were India to be batting first but even with Australia batting there is enough batsmen in their line up out of form or under pressure. Having been bowled out here last year on the opening day we know Australia can fall apart so at 9/2 I'll pay to see how many wickets they lose on the opening day. 1pt ew V.Kohli Top India Batsman (1st Inns Only) 7/1 Ladbrokes (1/5 1,2,3) Virat Kohli came to the party in Perth where he top scored in both innings and in a weaker batting line up here I see no reason why he's 7/1 to top score in this innings. The India batting hasn't fired at all in this series but when he comes in at 6 his counter attacking nature has worked so far in the series. Everyone above him in the line up is under pressure through age, lack of form or captaincy and I don't really see any of them performing much better than they have done so far. Kohli looked in excellent touch in Perth and at 7/1 he's well worth an each way punt here.

[Crouch Potato]

Re: Cricket: Australia vs India - Test Series Very nice work so far Kev. A 5pt bet and a 7/1 shot getting up. Fingers crossed Ashwin can get over the line in a losing side.

[kevshat]

Re: Cricket: Australia vs India - Test Series

Very nice work so far Kev. A 5pt bet and a 7/1 shot getting up. Fingers crossed Ashwin can get over the line in a losing side.

Cheers mate. Ashwin has already covered his performance thanks to Clarke's very strange decision not to enforce the follow on :ok.

[Crouch Potato]

Re: Cricket: Australia vs India - Test Series Very strange decision indeed. Didn't see Ashwin took a catch -- even better! Have taken Tendulkar to top score for India @ 5 Sportingbet. India in big trouble and I think this venue suits Tendulkar as he has had some success here over the years. He's in better form than Sehwag, Laxman and Dravid so I think this is a good price.

[Tyler]

Re: Cricket: Australia vs India - Test Series Yes Kev well played, you smashed the hell out of this test. Clarke and Ponting took the Day 1 Bets away from us which was quite annoying, but at the same time, brought in Clarke's Top Series Bat however, Australia won the test which brought some reprieve. On a sidenote. It's worrying to see this India side perform so shite away from home. 0-8 against Australia and India is horrible. Virat Kohli, next Indian captain for sure.