2nd Test: England vs India
All roads lead to London this week as English and Indian cricket fans visit the Headquarters of Cricket with the hosts already one ahead.
The Second Test: England vs India at Lords will set the tone for the series after England won in dramatic fashion at Edgbaston to take a 1-0 lead. And as two of the best teams in the world collide again, a two-test deficit would make it very difficult for the Indians to recover.
Indian captain Virat Kohli tried to take his side to victory in the First Test, almost single-handedly and he desperately needs more of his players to perform, while England seems to be able to find match-winners rather more easily at the moment.
Talking Points
All-rounder Sam Curran has become a big England vs India news almost overnight with a man-of-the-match performance at Edgbaston as Joe Root’s side came through to win by just 31 runs.
He took four wickets to give England a first-inning lead, despite a brilliant 149 from Kohli, and then, with his side reeling and staring defeat in the face he smashed a superb 63 from 65 balls to swing the momentum back in England’s direction again. At just 20 years old and playing only his second test, this was a stunning performance to set the hearts of England fans racing.
While Ben Stokes cleaned up on day four, grabbing the big wicket of Kohli, it was Curran’s performance in two innings that won the match. Joe Root has said that Curran’s form is ‘like having two Stokes’ which is perhaps as well as the real Ben Stokes misses out at Lords while he defends his court case in Bristol this week. We look forward to the big-hitting all-rounder concentrating on his cricket again.
Stokes’ absence means there’s a return to the England set-up for Chris Woakes, another all-rounder with the ability to win matches with both bat and ball. These are promising times for the Three Lions.
Young Surrey batsman Ollie Pope has had a call-up to replace the out of sorts Dawid Malan, who could only muster 28 in this two innings at Edgbaston. Pope’s another 20-year old that England could be ready to blood. Surrey is at the top of the County Championship and Pope has been a big factor in that, averaging over 80, as he has reached 1,000 first-class runs in double quick time, 15 games.
If the selectors think he already has the poise to play Test Cricket then he could slot in at number four behind his captain Root.
Both India’s and England’s skippers are inspirational figures. Kohli has been the best batter in the world, across all formats, for some time now. But Root isn’t far behind him and his captaincy in the First Test win won him rave reviews as he juggled his bowlers expertly to dismiss the tourists twice.
Still, Kohli must be a little frustrated, having scored virtually half of his team’s total runs in the first match in Birmingham. It isn’t as if he stands alone. Shikhar Darwan is a dangerous batter and looked in good nick early in both innings at Edgbaston but was out twice wafting his bat outside off stump and he needs to rectify that. If the selectors stick with him then he’s likely to open alongside India’s go-to new ballplayer Murali Vijay.
India may well stick with the same batting line up, but the selectors’ patience could be in danger of wearing thin.
Ravi Ashwin bowled with his usual guile at Edgbaston but Ishant Sharma was the pick of the bowlers taking five wickets in the second innings as India seemed destined for victory.
History
England won a well contested ODI series 2-1 and the England vs India odds for the test series suggested another win for the Three Lions, and so the first test victory was no real surprise.
That defeat means India has only won six test matches in England in 58 attempts, a lamentable statistic, and there is going to have to be a spectacular turnaround in their fortunes to win this series. The nature of defeat at Edgbaston will not have pleased the Indian selectors and fans one bit as skipper Kohli, with his 200 runs, scored only 14 fewer than the rest of his team put together.
What are the odds?
The SBOBET odds suggest that the momentum is well and truly with England and the Three Lions are favourites to go two up at odds of 1.75, while India is 2.80 and the draw is at 4.00.
Draw no Bet is available at 1.60 for the hosts and 2.35 for India but on the evidence of a short First Test, I’d probably be braver than that.
Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
●●●
CHECK OUT OUR BLOG FOR MORE CRICKET STORIES & ODDS
Stay updated with everything sports and betting.
Follow us on social Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
