Australia v India – 1st ODI Betting Preview
Australia v India: ODI Game 1, Sunday 5/2 – 2.20pm (AEST) at MCG – Latest Odds HERE.
RECENT ODI FORM:
These two teams are the top-ranked ODI sides in the world, which is no surprise after outstanding performances in the 50-over format over recent times.
Australia went into the 2011 ICC World Cup as one of the red-hot favourites, but unfortunately fell at the penultimate hurdle, ironically losing to its upcoming opponents this Sunday. However since that loss, Michael Clarke has stepped in as captain and led the Australians superbly. The Aussies clean swept their series against Bangladesh 3-0 in April, defeated Sri Lanka 3-2 away from home in August and grinded out a 2-1 series victory over South Africa away from home in October.
India went into the 2011 ICC World Cup as the favourite side to win – and it came through with the goods. The Indians were at their best with the bat, chasing down Sri Lanka’s competitive total of 274 with six wickets and 10 balls to spare. They quickly came crashing back down to earth though when they travelled over to England in September and lost their five-match series 3-0. But the Indians have looked menacing in their past two series, defeating the Poms 5-0 this time on home soil in October, then smashing the West Indies 4-1 on home soil again in December.
KEY PLAYERS:
Xavier Doherty has been given plenty of responsibility for this tri-series – but he is up for it. The left-arm orthodox spinner is the sole slow bowler selected to represent Australia this summer, but in the form that he is in, he is more than capable of doing a job. Doherty has been a regular fixture of the Australian ODI team since the end of last year’s World Cup and he hasn’t disappointed. The 29-year-old has taken 11 wickets from his past five ODI’s at an impressive average of 17.36. Doherty has always been known for his ability to keep the runs down, but if he is able to pile on the wickets this series, he could become one of Australia’s most valuable weapons over the coming years.
Gautam Gambhir is one of the first-picked players in any Indian side. The 30-year-old oozes class and patience when he is at the wicket and gets India off to a solid start more often than not. However Gambhir has struggled on Australian pitches this summer, getting starts but fialing to turn them into triple-figure scores. But the opening batsman does his best work in the ODI format, as he averages an impressive 40.36. Gambhir also has leadership credentials, after he captained his side to a 4-1 series victory over the West Indies in December last year. Watch out for him to make a big impact over the next month and a half.
PITCH AND CONDITIONS:
The drop-in pitch at the MCG is traditionally a good batting wicket. So if either captain wins the toss, it would be wise for their team to bat first. However, the forecast in Melbourne for Sunday seems quite gloomy and a full 50-over match is far from guaranteed. Melbourne is expected to reach 31 degrees during the day, but there is a strong chance of some afternoon thunderstorms. Therefore there will be some extra humidity and moisture in the air, meaning the seam bowlers might have a bit more dominance at the MCG than usual.
TEAMS:
Plenty of heads were turned when Australia named its squad for one-day tri-series last week. There was no room for out of sorts top-order batsman Shaun Marsh and leg-spinning all-rounder Steve Smith, who have been regular fixtures in the limited-overs side over recent years. Marsh’s brother Mitch had better luck though and was selected in the squad, however he will play for Western Australia in its upcoming Sheffield Shield match and won’t be available to play for the Aussies until their third match of the tri-series. Wicketkeeper Brad Haddin has been ‘rested’ for this series, which allows the in-form Matthew Wade to further push his case for a permanent spot in the Australian team. David Hussey also returns to the side and will battle it out with bolter Peter Forrest for that last spot in the batting line-up. Here is how the Australians are likely to line-up:
1. David Warner
2. Matthew Wade (WK)
3. Ricky Ponting
4. Michael Clarke (C)
5. David Hussey/Peter Forrest
6. Michael Hussey
7. Dan Christian
8. Brett Lee/Clint McKay
9. Ryan Harris
10. Mitchell Starc
11. Xavier Doherty
The makeup of India’s team is a guessing game at the moment. Sachin Tendulkar, considered the greatest cricketer of all-time, and Zaheer Khan have been selected in the one-day squad for the first time since India won the 2011 ICC World Cup. With so much class and experience, you would expect both of them to play on Sunday night. The batting line-up looks reasonably secure on paper, but there is still some debate over which Indian bowlers will play. At his best, Praveen Kumar is one of the most effective pace bowlers in the world, but he has looked a little rusty since returning from ma rib injury. Umesh Yadav showed plenty in the Test series and may be rewarded with a 50-over shirt. Rahul Sharma impressed during India’s two T20 matches against the Aussies, but you would expect the more experienced Ravi Ashwin to play, mainly because he offers a bit more with the bat. Here is how the Indians are likely to line-up:
1. Virender Sehwag
2. Sachin Tendulkar
3. Gautam Gambhir
4. Virat Kohli
5. Suresh Raina
6. Rohit Sharma/Manoj Tiwary
7. MS Dhoni (C/WK)
8. Ravindra Jadeja
9. Ravichandaran Ashwin/Rahul Sharma
10. Zaheer Khan/Umesh Yadav
11. Praveen Kumar/Ranganath Vinay Kumar
WHO WINS?
It has been a dreadful summer for India so far. (losses)
But the Indians have the chance to turn their fortunes around with some strong performances in the 50-over game, the format they have performed the strongest in over recent months.
The interesting battle will be between the two middle orders. In one corner, you have the Australian middle order that is full of class, experience and form from the Test series. In the other corner, you have the Indian middle order that is vibrant, youthful and in need of form.
There will also be plenty of pressure on Tendulkar, who still needs a ton to become the first man to score 100 international centuries.
Naive cricket fans thought the world had ended when the little master went through the recent Test series without registering a century, but his surprising selection in the ODI squad means he has another month and half to reach the milestone. Hopefully the feat won’t be on Tendulkar’s mind too much.
However what swings favouritism towards Australia’s way is form and confidence.
The Aussies have dominated the Indians this summer, no matter what format of the game it has been or where the game has been played. They have been playing with a freedom and confidence that we have not seen here in this country for a while. And it has been very refreshing.
With Clarke, Ricky Ponting and the Hussey boys in good form with the bat, it will be tough for the Indian bowlers to restrict Australia to a low score. And it will not get any easier when the in-form bowling attack of Ryan Harris, Mitchell Starc and Doherty let rip.
Aussies to continue their outstanding summer.
BEST HEAD-TO-HEAD BET:
Australia to win ($1.57)
AUSTRALIA HIGH BAT:
Michael Clarke ($5)
INDIA HIGH BAT:
Gautam Gambhir ($5)
AUSTRALIA MOST WICKETS:
Xavier Doherty ($5)
Recent Comments