Cricket Betting Tips: In-play angles after day two of England v India

Dominant India

India are in a dominant position. They have taken the honours from each of the first two days and they bookmarked day two with some fearless and thrilling cricket of their own.

From Jasprit Bumrah taking a world record 35 off Stuart Broad's over to a one-hour burst from their three pacers, India posted reminders of England's failings. New Zealand did that, too but one suspects the tourists, unlike their predecessors, get the job done from here.

India are 1.528/15, England are 6.806/1 and the draw is 5.04/1. The draw price had been of interest after the teams returned to the field at 18.00 for the final hour. England and the stalemate had flipped in price with the rain. And, to be frank, it never takes much of a dip for the latter to interest the layers. Bet the match odds here.

But England couldn't hold India for long enough. If Joe Root and Jonny Bairstow had remained until the close, we'd have been in clover. But Root's wicket - which added 1.3 points on to the draw price, reminded all that timing is everything

Heavy rain is expected after lunch on day three. So there could be another chance to get a lay on again with the price having the potential to dip by a point, so long as England have a solid morning session.

The amount of rain forecast would not normally impact our thinking. But the way the Edgbaston drainage failed on day two when there was only light rain would suggest lengthy delays.

England's run line is set at over/under 243.5/250.5 on Betfair Exchange. A lay of 275 or more at 2.6413/8 may be of more interest considering England are five down for 87 and with Matt Potts in at No 9 after Jack Leach was dismissed as nightwatchman.

Perhaps the standout price is the 1.618/13 to lay that the match goes to day five. It looks a short price given that we're through one-and-a-half innings on day two. The follow-on is very much in play.

Go low at big prices

Here's a sentence we didn't expect to write in this fourth test: if only Ajinkya Rahane were playing.
Rahane has lost his place in the India team since last summer. If he were still available we'd be launching in to a bet on him for top India bat given his record away from home in topping in the second innings.

Instead, there are three main takeaways. Virat Kohli will be too short considering he has a hit rate of only 17%. Rishabh Pant will be a wager so long as we get 5/1 or bigger. Don't rule out a middle- to lower-order winner.

On the latter, India's top runscorer second time around in the last five years (28 matches) on the road has come from No 5 or lower ten times. Ravi Jadeja and Shardul Thakur will be considerations. Bet the Sportsbook markets here.

India top 2nd inns bat/innings away from home last 5 years
Rahane 6 t/25
Kohli 4/23
Pant 3 t/18
Gill 2/4
Agarwal 2/11
Ashwin 2/14
Pujara 2/27

Crawley unlucky

If this is to be Zak Crawley's final Test match, he may be considered lucky to have made it to the top echelon. A first-class average of 30 is not normally enough to reach the pinnacle.

Yet he could also be considered unfortunate to have been under the guidance of the Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum axis at a time when he needed more careful consideration.

England's aggressive approach with the bat has won many plaudits. And three Tests so far. There will be losers and losses, however. Crawley's career may be the first casualty.

While many players will benefit from Stokes and McCullum telling them to 'trust the process' and play with freedom, Crawley is not that man. Technically flawed, he has been told to go out and whack it. Which is why he keeps getting out in the same way innings after innings.

A careful and thoughtful approach to Crawley's foible may have resulted in a different outcome. Think Duncan Fletcher. He would have drilled a Crawley for hour after hour on a change to his technique.

That is not the McCullum way. When Crawley is eventually dropped, expect McCullum to plump as someone who fits his coaching method. James Vince maybe.