India Enter As Betting Favorites Against England In Third Test
England was the betting favorites for the first two tests against India, but the tables have now turned. England was lucky to escape with a draw in the first Test as rain arrived on the 5th day to bail the hosts out of trouble. Even though India did well in the first Test, the bookmakers still had them as the underdogs in the second Test at Lords.
The bookmakers got it wrong as India put in a phenomenal performance at Lord’s and ended up winning on the fifth day in the final session. India is now 1-0 up in the five-match test series, and the third Test at Leed’s is now a very important game for both sides.
India Betting Favorites For Third Test
The third Test will take place from August 25 to 29, and this time India enters as slight betting favorites. Bookmakers have India at 2.37 while England is just behind with odds of 2.62. The odds for this game ending in a draw are currently at 4.0.
The weather forecast for the week in Leed’s is pretty good. There will be some clouds moving around during the test match, but no rains are expected. Even if a few showers do arrive, it is not expected to cause any major interruption to play. We do think that there will be a result in this game.
England Make Changes For Third Test
One of the main reasons why England has been outplayed in both test matches is because their batting department has performed poorly. Their captain Joe Root has held the batting together and scored most of the runs, but the rest of the batters have been a let-down.
The selectors have made a couple of changes to the squad for the third Test and will be hoping the changes work for England. Zak Crawley and Dom Sibley have lost their place in the Test squad after a poor showing in the first two games.
Ex-captain Michael Vaughn called for Dawid Malan to be included in the side, and the selectors have listened. Malan has been recalled to the Test side after a three year period and will get to play at his home ground in Leeds.
England is likely to open with Haseeb Hameed and Rory Burns and get Malan to bat at three. Hameed did not have a good game in the second Test, and if he fails in the third Test, Malan is going to be under pressure right away. Mark Wood’s fitness is also a concern, and there is a chance he might miss the third Test, and Saqib Mahmood could get a game.
India Likely To Play Same Playing XI
India is most likely not going to change its playing XI, as Kohli has shown in the past. He prefers to stick to a winning combination. The two sides have had a break for 10 days, and that downtime would have been great, especially for the bowlers.
The one debate that went on during the second Test was whether India should have played R Ashwin instead of R Jadeja. Jadeja did not do much in the second Test as it was more a fast bowler-friendly pitch. We think he will play again at Leed’s. India brought in I Sharma for the second Test because S Thakur was injured. We will need to wait and see if Thakur is fit for the third Test or if Ishant continues to play.
Experts Predict Another Win For India
Our experts backed India to win the first and second Tests, and they are not changing their prediction for the third Test. India has the momentum behind it after a great fightback at Lord’s, and England is under a lot of pressure being 1-0 down in a home Test series. England knows it needs to win the third Test in order to be in a position to either draw or win the Test series.
Can England’s batting recover after being steamrolled in the second innings of the Lord’s Test? Can the experienced Jos Butler and Jonny Bairstow make big runs in the middle-order? Will James Anderson be able to make an impact with the ball? Will Mark Wood be fit for the third Test? If Saqib Mahmood plays, will he be able to make a difference?
There are just too many questions that England have to answer in the third Test. India looks the more settled and confident side going into the third Test. Indian captain Virat Kohli is due for some runs, and so is C Pujara. We think India will win the third Test and do so a lot more comfortable when compared to Lord’s!
