AUS vs IND 1st Test Day 1 match prediction 26 Dec 2020

Australia vs India 2nd Test | Top Bets from the Game

Australia will take on India in the second Test of the four-match series at the Melbourne Cricket Ground from December 26, Saturday.

Australia have suffered two more blows post their commanding victory in the pink-ball Test at the Adelaide Oval as David Warner and Sean Abbott have been ruled out of the Boxing Day Test match due to injuries. India, on the other hand, have selection troubles as Virat Kohli will not be a part of the remainder of the Test series. Shubman Gill and KL Rahul are strong contenders and it also remains to be seen whether Mohammed Shami, who took a knock during the 1st Test, will be available for selection as well. India, having been overwhelmed by the hosts in the 1st encounter of the Test series, will look to bounce back in the second. The memories of the last tour of Australia will certainly give Ajinkya Rahane and co. a boost ahead of the Boxing Day Test. With an enticing Test coming our way, let me also make it a little more spicy by adding three of the best markets from this game to bet on.

Cheteshwar Pujara to score over 30.5 runs

A lot was being expected from India's current Mr. Dependable in Test cricket but the way Australian bowlers bowled in the first Test, Cheteshwar Pujara could not do much. However, one should not forget that a string of not-so-great performances cannot tame a bloke who averages 57.41 against Australia. With over 1665 runs in just 17 matches against the Kangaroos, Pujara is the man to be feared! While playing on the Australian soil, Pujara has played 8 matches and has scored 765 runs at an incredible average of 51.00. The Saurashtra man has notched up 5882 runs in his Test career at an average of 48.22 and that again is towards the north of what we need him to score to win this bet. In two matches at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, Pujara has scored 152 runs at an average of 38.00. Sportsbet.io has offered odds of 1.85 for Cheteshwar Pujara to score at least 31 runs in the second Test match against Australia in Melbourne and it should be a walk in the park unless something dramatic happens again.

Marnus Labuschagne to hit over 3.5 fours

Marnus Labuschagne and his obnoxious tactics while batting have earned him widespread accolades. But he has one more special attribute which is going to help us mint money during the second Test and that is his boundary hitting ability. The South-African-born Australian cricketer has managed to rack up 164 fours in just 15 Test matches in his career. While playing against India, Labuschagne has struck 14 fours in 2 games as well. When he gets to play on the Australian soil, Labuschagne has managed to smash 109 fours in 9 Tests. In two Test matches which he has featured in 2020, Labuschagne has hit 29 boundaries. In the second match of any Test series, Labuschagne has 37 boundaries against his name in just four Tests. The scenarios I have just mentioned are all exceeding the 3.5 mark which is the current market requirement to win this bet and I can rightly feel that we are going to mint a lot of money during this second Test at the MCG. Sportsbet.io has offered odds of 1.87 for Marnus Labuschagne to hit over 3.5 fours in the upcoming game against India.

Steve Smith to score 50 runs

You guys must be thinking that I am out of my mind that I have handpicked this market for you to bet on! But you have got to trust my instincts and the statistics on this because I am no fool that I would want to make you lose money when you bet. To start with, Steve Smith averages a jaw-dropping 113.50 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground! Yes, you have read that right - Smith has played 7 matches at the MCG and has notched up a whopping 908 runs including four centuries and three half tons. In 74 Test matches, Smith has racked up 7229 runs at a staggering average of 62.31! The former Australian skipper has played 11 Test matches against India and has 1431 runs under his belt at an astounding average of 79.50. While playing on his home soil, Smith averages 69.70 and I don't think I need to say more about his batting prowess and his incredible shot-making abilities. The numbers are speaking volume about this market and there is a chance that you could make more than double your investment as Sportsbet.io has offered odds of 2.06 for the same.