India vs Australia: 1st Check Preview & Betting Ideas

Pat Cummins and his males embark on step one of a legacy defining yr when Australia takes on India within the 1st Check at Nagpur. The hosts will are available in as heavy favourites, however can Cummins change into simply the third Australian captain to steer his facet to a collection win on Indian soil? 

Jack Tobin has obtained you coated along with his preview and suggestions for the first Check of the Border-Gavaskar collection, and make sure to try our Cricket Ideas web page for previews of each match of this collection!

India vs Australia 1st Check Betting Ideas

Nagpur, Ninth-Thirteenth February, 3.00pm (AEDT)

Squads

India: Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul, Shubman Gill, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KS Bharat, Ishan Kishan, R. Ashwin, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammad Shami, Mohammed Siraj, Umesh Yadav, Jaydev Unadkat, Suryakumar Yadav.

Australia: Pat Cummins, Ashton Agar, Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Cameron Inexperienced, Peter Handscomb, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Lance Morris, Todd Murphy, Matt Renshaw, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Mitch Swepson, David Warner

India

Predicted XI: Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Ishan Kishan, Ravindra Jadeja, R. Ashwin, Axar Patel, Mohammad Shami, Mohammed Siraj

The massive information when India introduced their squad for this collection again in January was the absences of Rishab Pant and Jasprit Bumrah. Pant was concerned in a horrific automotive crash that has left him with severe accidents that may doubtless fill him out for everything of 2023, whereas Bumrah continues to be coping with the knee subject that compelled him to overlook the T20 World Cup. 

On a optimistic word for India, Ravindra Jadeja has recovered from his knee harm, and is anticipated to be chosen within the first Check. The participant to regulate choice clever is Suryakumar Yadav, who has been included within the Check squad for the primary time after a shocking yr in white ball cricket, will India pull the set off on a possible x-factor.

India come into the Border-Gavaskar collection on the again of a 2-0 win over Bangladesh in Bangladesh, and a 2-0 collection win at residence towards Sri Lanka. India struggled away from residence in 2022 with losses in South Africa and England, nonetheless their residence report continues to be outstanding having not misplaced a collection in India since 2012. In that timespan India have a 34-6-2 report, with a 4-0 and 2-1 collection wins towards Australia in 2017 and 2018 respectively.

After a lean few years with the bat, Virat Kohli picked up his kind with the bat in white ball cricket in 2022, and an in-form Kohli has the capability to take the collection away from Australia in a matter of periods if he’s on tune. Kohli has scored 2 centuries from six innings at a mean of 67 in ODI’s in 2023 and has scored 354 runs at a mean of 69 in his final 9 T20I’s. It’s solely a matter of time earlier than Kohli explodes in purple ball cricket.

Australia

Predicted XI: David Warner, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith, Travis Head, Cameron Inexperienced, Alex Carey, Ashton Agar, Pat Cummins, Scott Boland, Nathan Lyon

Mitchell Starc has been dominated out with a finger harm, whereas Josh Hazlewood gained’t play within the first Check with an Achilles harm, making it doubtless that the Australians will go along with a bowling assault made up of Pat Cummins, Scott Boland, Nathan Lyon and Ashton Agar. Cummins has made it clear for the reason that lead as much as the New 12 months’s Check that Agar can have a giant position to play on this collection, given the success left arm finger spinners have had in India.

The Aussies have come off a dominant summer season successful all 5 of their Check matches towards the West Indies and South Africa, however the kind from these collection’ will maintain little or no relevance taking up the largest problem in world cricket. Australia will probably be drawing on their 1-0 collection win over Pakistan final yr, in what was the facet’s largest  achievement below Andrew McDonald.

This Australian facet is as finest geared up to win on the subcontinent of any Australian facet since 2004, with a batting lineup that includes a whole lot of nice gamers of spin. Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith, Cameron Inexperienced and Alex Carey are all top quality gamers of spin, now they need to convey that ability to probably the most troublesome situations in world cricket.

While the batters should do their job, Nathan Lyon and Ashton Agar outperforming Ashwin, Axar and Jadeja looms as crucial issue of the collection if Australia are to win. There aren’t any questions round Lyon, nonetheless Agar’s report at each home and Check stage doesn’t encourage a lot confidence. Agar has been picked purely as a task based mostly choice, and if he can carry out throughout this season, it is going to be one other large tick for McDonald and his workers on their capacity to create an setting for gamers to succeed.

Match Prediction

India at $1.83 is fairly outstanding worth on this fixture, though Australia have introduced over one in all their finest suited lineups since their final victory on Indian soil, outdoors of Steve Smith and Nathan Lyon, this facet is unproven on the subcontinent. The Australians will take confidence from the way in which they have been capable of stay calm and grind out a collection victory in Pakistan, you solely have to return to the 2nd Check towards Sri Lanka in July final yr to be reminded of how Australian sides can have a sport taken away from them in a matter of a session.

The lack of Starc for this Check is essential given his selection he supplies as a left-armer, in addition to being Australia’s finest exponent of reverse swing bowling. India should win this collection 3-0 at the very least to ensure their spot within the World Check Championship Ultimate, and they are going to be trying to make an announcement early within the collection. Australia will probably be aggressive, nonetheless India are nonetheless far too good in these situations.

Prop Bets

As talked about earlier, Kohli is discovering his kind as soon as once more and it looms as a scary prospect for Australia. Kohli has scored 1682 runs at a mean of 48, with 7 a whole bunch and 5 fifties in Check matches towards Australia. Kohli lifts for the massive event, and will probably be able to make his mark early on this collection. 

Virat Kohli Over 36.5 Runs, $1.83 with Ladbrokes 

Usman Khawaja was lately named Australian Check participant of the yr after an impressive 2022 calendar yr the place he scored 1080 runs at a mean of 67, with 4 centuries and 5 half centuries. Khawaja has proven his capability to dominate towards spin, and has the sport required to succeed on the subcontinent, along with his capacity to shift by way of the gears throughout an innings.