India vs England Test Series Preview

India and England get underway in the early hours of Thursday morning in a Test series that will see the hosts out for revenge after their 4-0 hammering in England back in August. Bookmakers make India the 4/7 (BetVictor/Stan James) favourites for the series while England are 5/1 (william hill) and the drawn series is available at 9/2 (sportingbet). It looks a difficult series to call as on the one hand you have an England side who have recently hammered India and the other this touring side were dire last winter getting hammered by Pakistan in the UAE and drawing with Sri Lanka. England will take heart from being only of two sides to have beaten India in a test match in India since 2006 (South Africa being the other one) though since that defeat India are unbeaten in their last 11 test matches at home, winning eight of these.

Those looking for a correct scoreline bet will see the 2-0 series scoreline is the favourite here at 11/2 (general), Those who don’t think England will win a single game can get 4-0 India at 14/1 (general), 3-0 at 7/1 (ladbrokes) and 1-0 at 11/1 (sportingbet). If you think England can pick up a test victory then you can get a 2-1 Indian series victory at 11/2 (Stan James), 3-1 India is 14/1 (Stan James/ladbrokes). Those who think England can win this series can get a 2-1 England victory at 10/1 (general), England 1-0 is 18/1 (bet365/BWin), England 2-0 is 25/1 (general), England is 3-1 is 40/1 (general), England 3-0 is 50/1 (general) and the England 4-0 victory is the outsider 125/1 (bet365). The drawn series can be backed with 1-1 13/2 (bet365/boylesports/BWin), 2-2 available at 20/1 (Skybet/Stan James/ladbrokes) and 0-0 at 22/1 (bet365/sportingbet/BWin).

One bet I like the look of is Samit Patel at 18/1 (Corals/boylesports) or if you prefer each-way it is 16/1 a fifth the odds with sportingbet who pay out on the 1,2,3. Patel has been on great form with the bat on the tour so far and it would be a shock to not see him among the top six batsman for the first test. Patel looks a decent player of spin in a top six of players that are not altogether comfortable playing spin. Cook is a deserved favourite at 3/1 (general) though this looks very short with the dual demands of captaincy. Pietersen at 7/2 (Sportingbet) and Trott at 4/1 (Skybet/sportingbet/Stan James) can be opposed, Ian Bell (8/1-general) might miss a test for impending fatherhood and Nick Compton at 9/1 (Sportingbet) is likely to be thrown in at the deep end as opener. Likely batting sixth and avoiding the demands of facing the openers Patel looks the value.

It might also be worth having a small interest in Praygan Ojha to be the top Indian series bowler. It is likely to be a straight shoot out between him and Ravi Ashwin. Both are fantastic bowlers and at 5/2 (Bet365/paddy Power/ladbrokes) as opposed to 7/4 (paddy Power/ladbrokes) it is worth chancing that he can get the breaks to finish as top bowler. Those who wish could cover both and still return a small profit.

Bookmakers have as ever been busy with another of special markets with the one that appeals to me most the 11/8 India to win the first test and to win the series. England are often slow starters and have not won any of the first tests in any of their last ten series in Asia.

BEST OF THE BETS

GOLD: India to win first test and win series double, 11/8 (Bet365)
SILVER: Samit Patel top England series batsman E/W, 16/1 (BetVictor)
BRONZE: Praygan Ojha top Indian series bowler, 5/2 (Bet365/paddy Power/ladbrokes).

Go To bet365

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15/11/2012     © Frixo 2024