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England's Cowboys 11/1 for Indian Massacre
We might not be getting the massive 15/8 we got for Pakistan earlier this winter, but India to win the series at 4/5 with bet365 is still a cracking bet. England haven't won a single test in India since 1984, losing 6 of their last 8 on the sub-continent. Also, the timing of this tour plays into India's hands.
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England's last tour of India was in 2001 during December, when it is a lot cooler than it is in March. In 1993, England toured after Christmas and wilted in the fierce heat, losing the three match series 3-0, two of those defeats were by an innings.
England's success over the past couple of years has been built on their pace attack, but with Flintoff likely to miss the final test and Harmison and Hoggard looking ineffective in Pakistan, it will be down to their spinners to bear the brunt of the bowling. Udal, Panesar and Blackwell have only three caps between them and a test bowling average of 92. In contrast, Harbhajan and Kumble are two of the best spinners on the planet, the latter needing just six more wickets to be the 5th player in history to take 500 test scalps. In the last series in India in November, 61 of the 86 wickets taken fell to spinners.
Apart from the gulf in class on the slow bowler front, India have probably the finest batting line up in the world. Tendulkar, Dravid, Sehwag and Dohni are all genuine world class performers and Yuvraj and Laxman would get into most test teams around the world. Michael Vaughan has injury worries, Flintoff will be at his wife's bedside during the final test and I fear the worst for England's inexperienced spinners against the might of the Indian top order. One of the reasons England won the Ashes was a settled side, something they didn't have in Pakistan, and something they don't have here. It could be a long, hard tour in Indian country.
Cricket Pick: India to win the Test Series (v England) @ 4/5 with bet365
Series Correct Score Pick: India to win 3-0 @ 11/1 with bet365
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Posted by: martinwarn on Wednesday, February 15, 2006 - 11:49 PM
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