England v India Fourth Test Player Tips: Brook, Gill and Bumrah three to bet

• Old Trafford favours middle order bats

• Brook 50 win rate catches eye

• Gill may not have lbw worry

• Read the fourth Test preview HERE!

• Betfair Predicts is your essential guide to England v India this summer

England v India Fourth Test Superboost

On Wednesday England take on India in the fourth Test of the five match series at Old Trafford and Betfair have a Superboost for the action.

Joe Root has been in fine form throughout the last three matches hitting 22 Boundaries in the series so far.

For England's talisman with the bat to to hit 4+ boundaries in the 1st Innings we have boosted him from 4/61.67 to 11/102.11!

England v India
Wednesday 23 July, 11.00
TV: Live on Sky Sports

Top first-innings runscorer

The Old Trafford surface is often one which keeps all manner of batters and bowlers interested. There have been runs for those who hit through the line of the ball, the scrappers and there have been wickets for the rangy pace bowlers who exploit bounce and spin bowlers. That could make finding a player to excel, or struggle, tricky.

But there is a clue in the data as to how to frame sensible bets for the five days of action in Manchester (or four potentially if the early weather forecast is correct about rain on day one). Runs are most likely to come from positions Nos 4-7. As the numbers below show for runs per innings averages (note we don't use the traditional average method because not outs can give a false impression for betting purposes) there is a reasonably big gap between runs for the upper order and lower order.

This confirms a long-held suspicion that Old Trafford is more helpful to those protected from the new ball. It is a theory also which holds weight in this series between two teams (Jasprit Bumrah aisde) who have bowling attacks which desperately need help from a new ball. When it goes soft both units can look innocuous.

The immediate port of call for top-bat bets will, of course, be Joe Root. He has a strong record in Manchester but rarely will these pages be filled with the idea that he is anywhere close to value at even a boosted 4/15.00. His two-year win rate is at 18% and after a win at Lord's we are not about to bet him to go back-to-back. Instead the 5/61.84 that he busts 37.5 first-innings runs has appeal. In-play you might be paying a couple higher than that.

For the hosts attention may be best turned to Harry Brook. Brook is another who is a little skinny in terms of win rate but he is only a point way with 19% versus Sportsbook's 4/15.00. The 6/42.50 that he notches a fifty may have more appeal. He has 15 half-centuries in 28 first innings for England so there is a clear edge.

We are also keen to get with India's Shubman Gill for runs. Down at No 4 he is nicely cossetted from early new-ball damage and one of his few flaws could protected by the Old Trafford surface. If there is bounce, his tendency to be leg before might be less of a worry. Batters can be saved from the ball going over the stumps on a good length there.

Gill is 7/24.50 for top India runscorer honpours in the first. The 7/42.75 that manages a fifty is a price that stands out. We expect him to knuckle down after he was far too loose at Lord's in that second-innings chase. 

Don't forget that any first innings batsman bet will qualify for Betfair's Fivers for 50s offer - opt-in required, minimum stake £5 - with bettors rewarded with a free £5 bet if their chose batsman reaches 50 runs.

You can bet in the market here.

Old Trafford runs per innings average last 5 years

Openers 28

Uppder order (1-3) 28

Middle order (4-7) 37

Get live fourth Test prediction on Betfair Predicts

Top India first-innings bowler

Jasprit Bumrah is correctly hailed as the outstanding fast bowler in the world and in this series he stands out as a prince among paupers in terms of ability and what he can do with the ball. Bumrah's 12 wickets are costing 21 a piece and he will be miffed that his side have failed to win each of the two Tests he has played.

He cracked open the game for India at Lord's as he roared on to the honours board in first-innings and he may well be required to do so again. He has little to beat for top India first-innings bowler, as witnessed by a ridiculous record of seven wins in the last nine.

Mohammaed Siraj actually has one more wicket than Bumrah in the series but has bowled 23 more overs while Akash Deep returned to the mean following his strong show at Edgbaston. Now nursing a groin injury Akash may struggle to rediscover his potency. Nitish Kumar Reddy, who also looked a threat at HQ, is out of the series. 

Sportsbook offer 21/103.10 about one of the greats and with opporutnities like to dwindle in the coming years to get with the great man, we have to bet bumrah whle we have the chance. 

England v India fourth Test specials

There are some big prices which leap from the specials page from Sportsbook, chief among them a match fours, sixes and wickets combination involving Joe Root, Rishabh Pant and Jofra Archer.

Respectively Root must hit most fours, Pant most sixes and Archer must take most wickets for the 80/181.00 to land. There is a little bit of science behind what could be a fun interest. Root averages 4.22 fours per innings in England's last ten, Pant averages 1.26 sixes per innings over India's last ten. The latter is the second highest of players involved with Jamie Smith top. And few doubt Archer's potency or ability to take down quick wickets.

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