Australia v India WTC Final Player Tips: Four bets from 5/6 to 50/1

• Labuschagne and Pujara reliable

• Aussie pacers hold key

• Thakur underrated

Australia v India
Wednesday 7 June, 11:00
TV: Live on Sky Sports

Back over M Labuschagne 35.5 1st inns runs

Considering the World Test Championship is supposed to be the pinnacle of the game, the ultimate test and all that, neither team are prepared. As discussed in the match preview, Australia may have the edge purely because they have been able to focus longer on the colour of the ball, red over white.

But there are some exceptions in terms of players and that is where we should focus for best bet angles. Three Australians and one Indian have prepared well by utilising county cricket. Marnus Labuschagne and Michael Neser have been playing for Glamorgan and Steve Smith and Cheteshwar Pujara for Sussex.

Labuschagne stands out because of a ton in his last first-class game. He notched 138 against Sussex, following on from a whopper of 170 not out against Yorkshire. He has had more opportunity than Smith.

Although we'd like to bet him at 3/1 for top Australia bat in first-innings, the win rate data is not quite there so we will pay overs on his runs quite with Sportsbook at 5/61.84 for 35.5. Smith has a dreadful return.

There's nothing wrong with Usman Khawaja, either at 10/34.33 given his extraordinary record. But we will be cautious and swerve as he may need time to adjust to English conditions.

Top Australia bat wins/matches last two years
Khawaja 8/16
Head 4/17
Labuschagne 3/19
Green 1/16
Warner 1/17
Smith 1/19
Carey 0/19

Back over C Pujara 28.5 1st inns runs

As for Pujara, he has been one of the outstanding batters of the County season. He has accumulated three centuries and one fifty in six matches for Sussex.

We expect him to knuckle down and grind out a score. He is 6/42.50 for a first-innings 50 and 15/28.50 for a ton. The cheap, value option, though is a runs quote on the low side at 28.5.

In terms of win rates for top India bat in the first dig there is no player who has been priced incorrectly. Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma are 3/1 and 9/2 respectively.

Back P Cummins & S Boland man of the match

On a potentiall tricky Oval batting surface against an India team which has had only white-ball preparation, the likelihood of them getting rolled seems to be high.

In the 2021 final against New Zealand they lost, suffering against the seam and swing of Kyle Jamieson and Trent Boult. Jamieson won man of the match.

Pat Cummins and Scott Boland could cause similar issues. Cummins is 8/19.00 for man of the match and Boland a massive 33/134.00. A small interest is advised.

Back S Thakur top India 1st inns bat

Staying with the theme for India to be shot out cheaply, another small-stakes interest is Shardul Thakur. It could be that 40 or 50 is enough to win top India bat.

Thakur can bat. He took 67 off Australia in Brisbane in 2021 and on his only appearance at The Oval in the same year against England he notched 57 and 60. He should be slightly shorter than 50/151.00.