Cricket: 4th Test – Australia v India Odds and Betting Preview

Story by George Coombs on 2012-01-23 20:40:41

ADELAIDE, AUSTRALIA – Australia will bid to complete a series whitewash against India at the Adelaide Oval when the fourth Test begins on Tuesday. The hosts have totally outplayed their opponents in the three previous games inflicting two innings defeats on the Indians. Two of the last four Test matches played at this ground have been drawn and it looks set to once again be a batsmen friendly wicket.

Australia are priced up as the even money favourites with bet365 for this game while a draw is quoted at 19/10 with Skybet and Stan James. It would be a surprise to see India win this dead-rubber but they are a general 4/1 chance with most firms to take the spoils in Adelaide.

Australia will hope to continue their superb summer with another victory in this final test match. There is great depth in their batting line-up with four of the top six having scored a century in at least one innings in the series and Ricky Ponting need another 81 runs to reach 13,000 runs in what might be his last Test match on home soil. Australia have only won one of the last four Tests at the Adelaide Oval and have chosen to include Nathan Lyon in the side in the place of Mitchell Starc and his off-spin should be useful on this surface.  

India have performed woefully so far on their tour Down-Under and are currently on a run of seven consecutive Test losses abroad. Their batsmen have failed to scale the heights expected of them and whilst the bowlers have performed in patches the team has consistently failed against a rampaging Australian side. Sachin Tendulkar has been the pick of the batsmen but is still in search of his 100th international hundred and India will be forced to play without their suspended skipper MS Dhoni in Adelaide. Virender Sehwag will take over the captaincy and this could be the spark he needs as he attempts to rediscover his best form at the top of the order. India have a good record at this ground, in the past two Tests against the Baggy Green in Adelaide they have managed to secure a win and a draw which should inspire their current crop of players.

In the Top Australia Batsman betting, Michael Clarke heads the market at 4/1 with Ladbrokes and the skipper has been in brilliant touch averaging a massive 126 runs in this series. Ricky Ponting is a general 4/1 chance and David Warner is quoted at the same 4/1 price with Blue Square. Opener Ed Cowan can be backed at 5/1 with Sportingbet while the out-of-form Brad Haddin is an industry best price of 14/1 with bet365 to hit himself back into form in Adelaide.

India’s batsmen have put in many abject displays on foreign soil in the past year and their ageing squad has one final chance to impress in the longer format of the game. Raul Dravid, Virender Sehwag and Sachin Tendulkar are all quoted at 4/1 in this Top India Batsman market with Ladbrokes. Tendulkar has averaged over 40 in the series but will need to produce an innings to rival his best to score his landmark Test hundred. Gautham Gambhir is a best price of 5/1 with bet365 and Virat Kohli is the pick of the younger players at 7/1 with Paddy Power. India’s openers are quoted at 6/5 with Betinternet to outscore their Australian counterparts.

Ben Hilfenhaus has been the pick of the Australian bowlers collecting 23 wickets in the opening three games at an economy rate of 2.72. bet365 quote odds of 21/10 on him to be the Top Australia Bowler in this game. Peter Siddle and Ryan Harris have been very consistent and are available at 5/2 and 11/4 respectively with Ladbrokes. Nathan Lyon is the new face in the host’s attack and is generally quoted at 5/1 in this market.

India’s bowlers have not troubled the Australian batsmen throughout the series and the selectors may decide to play two spinners in Adelaide. Zaheer Khan has been installed as the 9/4 favourite with bet365 in the Top India Bowler betting and he has claimed only 12 wickets in the entire series. Umesh Yadav can be backed at 3/1 with the same firm while Ravichandran Aswin is a standout 7/2 with Stan James.

Play begins at 00.00 GMT on Tuesday 24th January and all the action is broadcast live on Sky Sports 1.

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