James Buttler of the Cricket Badger Podcast looks ahead to the fourth Australia v India Test match and finds the best bets at the MCG.
Australia will possibly count themselves unlucky not to have won the third Test in Brisbane after they were denied by poor weather, but we did land a 4/1 on Travis Head to be the top Australian scorer and a 19/10 on Jasprit Bumrah to take the most wickets for India.
With the series scoreline 1-1 with two Tests to play the contest for the Border Gavaskar Trophy is very much in the balance as the teams head to the Melbourne Cricket Ground for the Boxing Day Test.
The Aussies have dropped Nathan McSweeney as opener and drafted in 19-year-old Sam Konstas. It seems likely that Scott Boland will come into replace injured pace bowler Josh Hazlewood.
Worth backing Head again
With both sides struggling for consistent runs, Travis Head is the play again to top score for Australia as he’s the only batter to be in top form. He’s had scores of 11,89, 140, 152 and 17 for a total of 409 runs so far in the series. That’s a whopping 174 runs more than India’s KL Rahul, the next in the list. He’s 18/5 with BetVictor to be the top scoring Australian and 5/1 with Bet365 to be the top scorer in the match.
Runs could be hard to find in Melbourne
No side has scored more than 250 in the eight innings played at the MCG in the Sheffield Shield this season. With the weather a bit mixed in Melbourne in the week before the Test, it may be worth backing a century NOT to be scored in the fourth Test at 11/4 with Bet365.
Top Bowler markets
Jasprit Bumrah will rightly grab the attention of punters, but he’s getting shorter every time he puts in another remarkable spell. He’s taken 15 wickets at 13.07 in two previous Tests at the MCG and is 13/8 to be top India bowler again.
The bowler bet that appeals to me most is Scott Boland. He has great memories of Melbourne with 10 wickets at 13.80, including his match-winning 6/7 against England. He’s 3/1 with Unibet to be Top Aus Bowler and 13/2 with Bet365 to the take the most wickets in the match.
Which team wins?
India may find conditions more to their favour on the drier tracks of Sydney for the fifth Test, but ‘d much prefer to play the tourists to win in Melbourne at 39/20 with Unibet than take the meagre 4/6 in the inconsistent Australians.
James’ Best Boxing Day Bets
Travis Head to top score in the match at 5/1
Jasprit Bumrah to be Top India Bowler at 13/8
Scott Boland to be top match bowler at 13/2
A century NOT to be scored in the fourth Test at 11/4
India to win the fourth Test at 39/20
Please gamble responsibly and have a very Merry Christmas.