What a thrilling Test match we were treated to in Adelaide to open up the Border Gavaskar series! The Aussies claimed a 1-0 lead and now the series moves on to Melbourne for the annual Boxing Day Test starting on the 26th of December. We have a full preview and betting tips for the clash below!
Australia vs India 2nd Test Betting Tips
Melbourne Cricket Ground, Saturday 26th December, 10.30am (AEDT)
Australian Squad: Tim Paine (c), Pat Cummins, Joe Burns, Cameron Green, Marcus Harris, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Moises Henriques, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Michael Neser, James Pattinson, Steve Smith, Mitch Starc, Mitchell Swepson, Matthew Wade, Sean Abbot, Will Pucovski, Davis Warner
Indian Squad: Ajinkya Rahane (c), Mayank Agarwal, Ravi Ashwin, Jasprit Bumrah, Ravi Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Rishabh Pant, Cheteshwar Pujara, KL Rahul, Wriddhiman Saha, Navdeep Saini, Prithvi Shaw, Shubman Gill, Hanuma Vihari, Umesh Yadav
1st Test Recap
It was a 10 over stretch that won Australia the first Test in Adelaide. Trailing by 68 runs eight overs into the Indian innings, Australia claimed 8 wickets in just over 10 overs to bowl the Indians out for just 36, the lowest Test score since 1955. From there, the Aussies needed just 90 to win the Test, and closed it out in just 21 overs as Joe Burns finished on 51*.
Tim Paine was awarded the man of the match after fighting for 73* in the first innings and accumulating seven dismissals behind the stumps for the match, but it was Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood who ultimately won Australia the match, taking 9 wickets between them in the second innings.
Squad Info
After a competitive white ball series and a thrilling first Test, Indian skipper Virat Kohli will depart Australia to return home for the birth of his first child. It was a bitterly disappointing end to the tour for Kohli, who was run out in horrendous fashion in the first innings on the way to another Test century before being dismissed for just 4 in the second innings. Ajinkya Rahane will captain the side, while the open batting spot could go to KL Rahul or Shubman Gil. India will be eagerly awaiting the arrival of Rohit Sharma, who is currently completing his quarantine before joining the team.
More trouble for India is the loss of fast bowler Mohammed Shami, who suffered a fractured arm as a result of a Pat Cummins bouncer. India have two fast bowling options to replace Shami in Mohammed Siraj and Navdeep Saini or they could opt to play a second spinner in Kuldeep Yadav or Ravi Jadeja.
For the Aussies, the selection drama will be dependent on David Warner’s fitness. At the moment, it looks unlikely that Warner will be fit to play, but if he is, who do the Australian selectors drop? Do they move Matthew Wade back to No.6 and drop Cameron Green? Do they drop Matthew Wade or Joe Burns? Only time will tell.
As the Test was wrapped up in just under three full days, it’s extremely unlikely that any of the star three pronged pace attack will be rested, especially given that all three bowled so well.
Match Prediction
India had played just one pink ball Test before Adelaide, and it’s safe to say that the BCCI will rule them out for the foreseeable future given the horror show we endured on Saturday. The Melbourne Test will see the return of the red Kookaburra on a pitch that has been batsmen dominated over the past few years.
India were able to secure the Border-Gavaskar Trophy with a win in Melbourne a few years ago, coming on the back of a brilliant century by Cheteshwar Pujara in the first innings and 9 wickets in the match from Jasprit Bumrah.
Although they lost the first Test convincingly, I actually think they will take some confidence from both that Test and the Boxing Day clash they won a few years go. Apart from a 10 over implosion in Adelaide, the Indians were right on top in that game and there were some worrying signs from the Australian batting line-up in the first innings, being 5-79 at one stage before Tim Paine’s innings salvaged some respectability.
The Aussies start as almost ‘unbackable ‘ favourites at $1.37, which is understandable after Adelaide. There’s no doubt the Australian bowling line-up is the best in the world at the moment, and they will be hard to beat on any pitch, but I think the Indians are great value here.
A 10 over stretch of pure madness and dominance by Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood plastered over some of the cracks they currently have. Their opening partnership is extremely shaky, Steve Smith averages just 36.5 since the Ashes and Cameron Green looked incredibly raw against a world class Indian bowling attack. Back the Indians for extreme value here at $5.40.
