India Start ODI Series In Australia As Betting Underdogs
India have been given (6/5) betting odds by Bet365 and a lot of other sportsbooks as they believe India will struggle to win the ODI series in Australia. The Aussies (4/6) have the home advantage and are fielding a powerful line-up with a great balance of experienced players and some talented new faces.
The three match ODI series will kick off this long tour of Australia which will be followed by a three match T20 series, 2 warm up games and then a four test series. The first ODI will commence on 27 Nov.
Important For India To Win First ODI
Bookmakers have given Australia (8/11) odds in the first ODI and India (11/10). The first ODI is going to be very important for team India as it could not only determine how the ODI series pans out but also their entire tour of Australia.
Most of the Indian players are coming off a 6 week IPL series in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). They have spent quite a bit of time in the middle, playing the shorter format of the game and should be ready for the ODI and T20 series. However, the pitches in Australia are going to be very different from the pitches in the UAE.
The Indian batsmen will have to adjust quickly against a sold pace attack that will be led by Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins. Josh Hazelwood and Sean Abbott are also in the squad along with a number of all-rounders who can get the ball to nip around in Australia.
If India were playing in the sub-continent, they would have definitely been the betting favorites. However, do note that the first two ODIs are going to be played at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) which is generally one of the slower pictures in Australia and might bode well for the Indians. The third ODI will be played in the capital Canberra.
Betting Tip:
If the pitch in Sydney does not offer a lot of bounce, expect India to come hard at the Aussies and for things to go down to the wire. If the pitch at the SCG ends up offering bounce and conditions favour the bowler, expect the Aussies to run through India.
India ODI Squad:
Virat Kohli (Captain), KL Rahul (vice-captain & wicket-keeper), Shikhar Dhawan, Shreyas Iyer, Shubman Gill, Hardik Pandya, Manish Pandey, Ravindra Jadeja, Mayank Agarwal, Kuldeep Yadav, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohd. Shami, Yuzvendra Chahal, Navdeep Saini,
Aussies Will Want To Send Strong Message
Australia is one of the top teams in world cricket but over the last couple of years, they have shown that they can be beaten in the ODI format. Australia will look to use this ODI series against India to restablish themselves as one of the best ODI teams in the world.
Australia knows that if they can win the first ODI, it becomes a lot easier for them to not only win the series but push for a 3-0 whitewash. If they can accomplish a dominant ODI series win, it will bode well for them going into the T20 and test series.
Australia is fielding a very strong team led by Captain Aaron Finch. Their top and middle-order look extremely strong as all of their experienced players are fit and raring to go. The Aussies may go with a tried and tested team for the first two ODIs till the wrap up the series and then experiment with the third and final ODI and bring in a few of the younger players.
A lot of the Aussie players in the ODI squad have been part of IPL 2020 and have played a lot of cricket with the Indian cricket team in the UAE. Will the Aussies be able to switch of the camaraderie built up in the UAE and play the tough brand of cricket that they are known for down under?
Betting Tip:
The Aussies should have the mental advantage going into this long series as team India have been in an IPL bubble for 6 weeks and will now have to stay in an IPL bubble in Australia over another 8 weeks minimum. If team India has any mental weakness going into the ODI series, you can rest assured that the Aussies will discover it and exploit it.
Australia ODI Squad:
Aaron Finch (Captain), Pat Cummins (vice-captain), Alex Carey (wicketkeeper), David Warner, Steven Smith, Marnus Labuschagne, Cameron Green, Sean Abbott, Daniel Sams, Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, Matthew Wade (wicketkeeper), Mitchell Starc, Kane Richardson, Josh Hazelwood, Moises Henriques, Ashton Agar and Adam Zampa.
