England v India – Final Test Cricket Betting

Normally, you’d expect some sort of a reaction after a team had just been deposed as the best in the world. But, quite frankly, I can’t see a way for India to gain any kind of consolation in the final Test of their series against England. Lack of preparation, too much emphasis on one-day cricket, injuries and fatigue. All have been blamed on India‘s demotion in favour of their opponents at the top of the international test rankings. But I think you can add disinterest and lack of heart to that list. I made the cardinal sin of forecasting that the weather and the class of the Indian batsmen would contrive to thwart England at Edgbaston. I really should have known better! You can’t trust the English weather nor weather forecasters and the less said of the performance and attitude of supposed top-class players like Virender Sehwag, the better. It says plenty that India’s best player by far in this series has been medium-pace bowler Praveen Kumar, who has at least shown the stomach for a battle with both ball and bat. But he’s been badly let down by more exalted and experienced team-mates. India’s much-vaunted top six have simply crumbled in the face of England‘s pace attack and, though captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni insists there is not yet a need to panic, I’d strongly disagree. Sachin Tendulkar is still a class act but not the player of old on this summer’s evidence. Neither Sehwag nor Gautan Gambhir seem able to cope with top-class swing bowling and the years appearing to have worn down Raul Dravid traditional resilience. The Indians just have no middle order and there are likely to be few takers of the 6/1 available for a tourists’ victory in the Fourth Test with Blue Square, 888sportand William Hill. England are a best 6/4 with bet3 65, while the draw is 7/5 with bwin but I’d rather concentrate on some of the other markets surrounding the match. There is still a slight doubt about the fitness of Jimmy Anderson but England have shown they can cope easily when losing first-choice bowlers in the short term. Graham Onions is standing by to make his return to the test arena and will make a good foil for Stuart Broad and Tim Bresnan if selected. There may also be a change in England‘s batting line-up with Johnathan Trott likely to come straight back in after missing out at Edgbaston, replacing the unlucky Ravi Bopara. Trott is 4/1 with Skybet to be England’s leading run-maker at the Brit Oval but Alastair Cook heads the betting at a general 7/2 following his magnificent double century in Birmingham. Eoin Morgan, who also scored a century, is a general 8/1 with captain Andrew Strauss at 9/2 with totesport.