Winning Insights: Expert Cricket Betting Tips for the India vs. England Third Test
After two captivating Test matches, India and England are poised to resume their battle in Rajkot on Thursday morning at 4:00 am UK time, with each team claiming one victory and the series beautifully poised at one apiece out of the five matches.
After two captivating Test matches, India and England are poised to resume their battle in Rajkot on Thursday morning at 4:00 am UK time, with each team claiming one victory and the series beautifully poised at one apiece out of the five matches. Here at betting.bet, we are eager to share our thoughts and insight, as well as recommend the best betting sites and free bet offers for today.
The hosts are buoyed by their triumph in Visakhapatnam and are optimistic about their chances going forward. They anticipate the return of all-rounder Ravi Jadeja from injury this week, providing a further boost to their squad, albeit without the presence of Virat Kohli in the final three matches.
England, on the other hand, will have to cope without Jack Leach and Harry Brook, with the absence of the latter being particularly felt. Despite these setbacks, England have managed to hold their own against India, showcasing commendable resilience, especially in their own conditions, for the past eight days.
Our Top 3 Betting Tips:
- Betfair is offering 5/2 for Stokes to score a half-century in the first innings or 8/1 to notch a century.
- Bet365 has priced Tom Harley at 5/6to take over 5. wickets
- Boylesports have England to win at 29/10
What Are England's Chances?
There's a sense among England's players that they don't fully embrace the "Bazball" moniker, yet they wholeheartedly subscribe to its underlying philosophy. Their approach with the bat in India has been assertive yet measured, with no player boasting a strike rate of 100 or higher in the series. Instead, they have adopted a balanced strategy, understanding the importance of being proactive against spin while also trusting their defensive skills when necessary, as exemplified by Ben Stokes' composed 70 in the first Test.
England's shortcomings have been most evident in their first innings performances. In the second Test, they fell short of challenging India's 396, and their daunting fourth innings target of 399 would have been more manageable had they been able to withstand Jasprit Bumrah's potent reverse swing.
Bumrah remains a significant threat with the older ball, but there are positives for England to take. Unlike previous visiting teams to India, they have not only contained Ashwin but have also outplayed him on occasions. Ashwin's modest return of nine wickets in the series at an average of 36.33, with an economy rate of 4.08, contrasts sharply with his formidable career averages at home. This suggests that England's approach is effective.
Key Players
The return of Jadeja will pose challenges, but England's confidence against spin has notably improved since their struggles in 2021. Players like Ollie Pope and Zak Crawley, who struggled previously, have shown promise, with Pope's spectacular 196 in the first Test and Crawley's consistent scores in the second Test being noteworthy.
While more is expected from Joe Root and Jonny Bairstow, the lower order has shown resilience. If England can address their first innings issues, their formidable batting lineup, particularly in the second innings, could put India under significant pressure.
In the bowling department, England has slightly faltered in the first innings. Despite Hartley's impressive debut tour yielding 14 wickets, only three of those came in initial innings. Stokes has heavily relied on Anderson, particularly in controlling the run rate during the second Test on unresponsive pitches where spinners struggled to make an impact.
This series is shaping up to be a classic, one that could potentially go down to the wire. Based on what we've witnessed so far, England should find themselves in positions to win at least one, hopefully two, more matches. True to their nature, they'll make errors, but so will India, and I don't anticipate either side dominating proceedings from this point onward.
Considering all this, the odds of 11/2 on England winning the series seem undervalued. Even as a speculative investment, I believe there's merit in seizing the current odds, with the intention of reconsidering the bet if the series is tied at 2-2 heading into the final Test. By that juncture, it's probable that England's odds would have shortened significantly, possibly to no more than 5/2.
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