India v Australia Third Test Tips: More woe for depleted Aussies

Ed Hawkins
28 February 2023
2:00 min read

Smith is 5/4 for a first dig 50

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Ed Hawkins fears for the depleted ourists in Indore from Wednesday and picks out two Aussie batters to oppose

India v Australia
Wednesday 1 March, 04:00
TV: Live on BT Sports

Team news

India don't really need to make a change but they're discussing one. KL Rahul is under pressure for his place after some poor returns. Shubman Gill could come in.

Otherwise it should be same again. Shreyas Iyer continues in the middle order and Ravi Jadeja, Ravi Ashwin and Axar Patel, their trio of all-rounders in home conditions, should make the difference. Axar has taken only one wicket but is their second-highest rungetter.

Possible XI: Rohit, Gill, Pujara, Kohli, Iyer, Jadeja, Bharat, Axar, Ashwin, Shami, Siraj

Australia are in a right state. Not all of it of their own making. Pat Cummins, the skip, is sadly at home to be with his ill mother. David Warner has also gone home with injury and that could be his Test career done.

Matt Renshaw could open, Travis Head is under pressure. Cameron Green and Mitchell Starc, who says he's not 100% fit, will be the pace pair.

Possible XI: Khawaja, Renshaw, Labuschagne, Smith, Head, Handscomb, Green, Carey, Starc, Murphy, Lyon

Pitch report

We don't have much to go on for Indore. There have been only two Tests. What we do know is that India have won twice handsomely - beating New Zealand in 2016 and Bangladesh in 2019. Ashwin took 13 wickets in the first match but seam and swing was more important in the second. There's just a chance this might be the best batting wicket of the series but the Aussies are still a short on the runs in-play if they can manage a 40-50 run partnership in the first four wickets.

Team news

India are as short as 1.434/9, Australia are 5.409/2 and the draw is 8.4015/2. The latter is of interest if India bat first. They could well go big as they did against the Kiwis and Banglas. There's a trade possibility there.

Otherwise it should be an easy home win given the high and low levels of terror and confidence respectively in a depleted Aussie squad. Anything close to 1.70 in-play on India is a big bet.

Back Cameron Green under 25.5 runs

1.83

Tops value

Virat Kohli got a double ton against the Kiwis and is a boosted 11/2 for a ton in first-innings with Sportsbook. Jadeja and Ashwin are 4/1 and 9/2 respectively for man of the match. For Australia Steve Smith has appeal at 3/1 for top Aussie bat in the first dig because he has an advantage over the lefties. The 5/4 for a fifty is not too shabby, either.

We're keen on shorting manic sweepers Green and Alex Carey in the first dig on their individiual runs. We should be able to go under at around the 25.5 mark for each at 1.83.

Back Alex Carey under 25.5 runs @ 5/6

5/6

Ed Hawkins P-L

2023: +5.86
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2017: +12pts
2016: +18.1pts
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2013: +25pt

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