Australia v India Third Test In-play Tips: Best betting angles for final day

Australia v India
Tuesday 17 December, 23:50
TV: live on TNT Sports

Draw price skeletal

The weather forecasters can not often be relied upon but their warning that the Gabba Test was going to be a washout looks likely to be spot-on. Day five will begin with not even two full innings complete.

Not surprisingly, the draw is 1.051/20 after more interruptions left India on 252 for nine, 193 runs behind. Crucially, they avoided the follow-on, which was probably the death-knell for a result. Only 57.5 overs were possible.

The hosts had opportunities to crack open the game. Steve Smith dropped KL Rahul off the first ball. Rahul went on to make 84. Even at 161 for four with Rahul finally gone, Australia couldn't put a charge together. Ravi Jadeja's 77 proving important.

Josh Hazlewood left the field injured and he is expected to be ruled out of the series. Hazlewood's injury also probably damns any chance of a contrived finish. Oddly, India at 160.0159/1 could have been considered to have a better chance than the hosts if set a target but that just won't happen.

India trade chance on the Betfair Exchange?

There is the small chance that price could result in profits on a risky back-to-lay. Australia would, of course, need to wrap up the innings almost immediately. But any sign that they were batting in a way that was designed to set up a declaration would see those odds start to come down. That's if they start batting like England, however...

We're not saying it is going to happen but Australia could score 100 in double quick time and then both sides would have a crack at an unlikely result. India would be about 10.09/1 in that scenario.

But Pat Cummins doesn't look like a gambler. With Hazlewood out, Australia are likely to be on the defensive and now thinking about the Boxing Day test with Scott Boland expected to play on his home ground at the MCG. A priority may be giving Usman Khawaja and Nathan McSweeney a glorified net. McSweeney's runs may be a buy with Sportsbook as cheap runs are going here.

They need to get on the pitch first. There are forecast showers throughout the day although, frustratingly, a decent chunk of overs looks likely because of the low percentage chance of rain. .

Cummins versus Starc

Given they face a depleted bowling attack and the boost of having almost certainly escaped with a draw, Akash Deep and Jasprit Bumrah are likely to go out and enjoy themselves. India's par line could be a cheap win at overs 262.5. That's two big hits from a winner.

Certainly Bumrah and Deep have had little to fear so far. Deep, in particular, has been aggressive hitting two fours and one six. He took Cummins for four and six in the final over and it is good news for that cheeky overs play that he faces the final ball.

Australia's top first-innings bowler goes to the wire. Cummins leads Starc by one wicket with his four but he could be pipped. With no Hazlewood, this looks like a market won on economy. And there's nothing between them with Cummins three runs cheaper.

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