Let’s take a peek at the Australia v India 2nd Test Match betting tips. Australia and India meet in the 2nd Test Match on Friday 14 December at the Optus Stadium in Perth. Armchair fans can follow all the action live on Sky Sports with UK fans required to set their alarm for a 2:20am coin toss.
Will it be worth dragging yourself out of bed for on a bitter winter’s morning? We certainly think so. Bookmakers give us the chance to make things a little more interesting by offering odds on a number of exciting markets on both the 2nd Test and series outright. There’s not much better than live sport, except turning a profit while watching live sport.
That’s the dream scenario and is why we’ve drafted in our team of sports betting experts and cricket enthusiasts to help you do just that and land a body blow on the bookies, emptying their tills in good time for Christmas.
Bet on the series or 2nd Test
Some of the markets to choose from in the 2nd Test betting are match winner, Australian top 1st innings batsman, India top 1st innings run scorer, man of the match, double chance and 1st innings lead. If looking at the future you can make your opinions count on the series outright, such as which nation will win; top Australian batsman; the top Australian bowler; top India batsman; the top India bowler and even the first ball.
The markets are so extensive. In fact, you can even gamble on the outcome of the coin toss, taking 10/11 on heads or tails. It’s not a bet to get too carried away with but it could set you up nicely for the 2nd Test, putting money in your hand for the days of action that lie ahead. Why not give it a try for interest stakes and see how your luck lies.
The current series betting has India as favourites at 4/7 with Bet365 against the 9/2 (888sport) of the hosts. The draw is a more likely finish, according to traders, who have the level end available at 14/5 when getting your stake money down at Unibet.
Why are bookmakers so keen to side with the away win? A look at how the 1st Test Match went may just shed some light on that.
How the 1st Test went
Australia were expected to put the problems that had plagued them on and off the field of play behind them and get off to a winning start in what was billed as a crucial Test Match series against India on home soil. It was expected the result of this round of games would define the team’s short-term future heading into a vital year. Bookies had them picked to get the desired result and draw a line under the ball tampering scandal and all the turmoil that went with it. It didn’t go to plan.
India spoiled the party in the 1st Test with a surprise victory in a match that ended on Monday. That was the victor’s first Test win in this part of the world since 2008. Although it sparked joyous scenes among the tourists, it did more to highlight the difficult times that lie ahead for the locals; it serves to prove that they are not as far along the road to recovery as some thought. Simply forgiving and forgetting, relying on talent won’t be enough this time. They need to get to the root of the problem before starting afresh.
The final margin of victory was 31 runs; however, the writing was on the wall for some time before it become official with Australia scoring 235 & 291 to their opponent’s 250 & 307 in Adelaide.
Hosts left shattered
Australia captain Tim Paine didn’t try to hide his emotion when speaking to the press at the conclusion of the match; he said the team had been left shattered by the result. He picked out a host of missed opportunities to take the lead as the reason for the final result; however, he did reserve praise for his lower order who, he thought, put in a fight they could be proud of.
There’s no doubt we did see flashes of the old Australia during the 1st Test, especially their trademark fighting spirit and there was no lack of quality in the performance; however, a lack of killer instinct was evident and they didn’t take the game by the scruff of the neck when it was there to be had.
A performance they can take the positives from, and a move in the right direction for Australian cricket, but if they want to get fans back on side and back believing in the team it’s results and wins that will make all the difference. Supporters are tired of the drama they’ve had to endure during the year and are desperate to finish things on a high.
Bookies back India
It’s little surprise to see bookmakers are stuck on the fence as to picking the winner of the 2nd Test Match; however, they have come down in support of India, albeit by the finest of margins. Traders at Bet365 have 2-0 marked up as 6/5 jolly and that’s market best price at the time of writing. We’re sure it’ll attract a fair share of attention in the run-up to Friday’s start.
As we did in the 1st Test, we’re going to take the money men on however and go for the underdogs to level things up in front of their own fans. Australia went close to scooping a win first time out and they will emerge for the 2nd Test a better team and with more confidence in themselves. We’ve never doubted their quality and if they can show us that improvement they’ll rank as a good bet at 5/4 – top price when getting your stake down at William Hill. The draw is 6/1.
The pick of the other markets has Usman Khawaja as top Australian batsman, carrying a 10/3 price tag, Mitchell Starc penned in as top Australian bowler favourite at 5/2.