Aussies Have Six Appeal In Series Decider

The One Day International series between India and Australia has been kind to punters because bookmakers have refused to learn from their mistakes and the deciding match is another game in which there are excellent betting opportunities.

Once again, the headline pick is Australia to hit more sixes than India. Coral are offering odds of 1.80 that Australia hits more balls over the boundary rope than India in the Seventh One Day International at Bangalore’s M Chinnaswamy Stadium. Those odds are remarkably big given the results of the four completed One Day International matches between India and Australia over the last few weeks.

Australia scored nine sixes to India’s two in the First One Day International, with Aaron Finch and Glenn Maxwell each being sufficiently proficient with their slogs to account for the Indians on their own. Even though India chased down Australia’s total of 359 runs to take out the Second One Day International, the Australians won the sixes battle 12-11. Australia smashed eight sixes to India’s five in the Third One Day International and, once again, despite being the victim of a freakish run chase, the away team dominated the sixes showdown, coming out on top by nine sixes to four.

The great thing about backing Australia to hit more sixes than India is that the Australians have so many sloggers in their batting line-up that one is not reliant on one batsman to get the job done. For example, Finch made a big name for himself in Australia’s Big Bash League at the turn of the year and most Australian fans would nominate him as their side’s most destructive batsman. But when Finch flops – as one is going to do if one plays extremely aggressively – his teammates fill the void. Finch has scored only four sixes in his five One Day International series innings against India, with George Bailey (15 sixes), Maxwell (nine sixes), James Faulker (eight sixes) and Shane Watson (six sixes) picking up the slack. Only three India batsmen have hit more than one six, with the home side’s top sloggers being Virat Kohli (eight sixes), Rohit Sharma (seven sixes) and MS Dhoni (five sixes). Australia should be trading at odds of around the 1.40 mark to hit more sixes than India in the Seventh One Day International so Coral and Stan James are crazy.

Australia has been overpriced to win every match during its One Day International series versus India but maybe it is time to get off the Australians. Surely losing a second game having posted 350 runs in its innings is going to knock out the stuffing of Australia’s players, particularly its bowlers. Furthermore, India has an excellent record in One Day International matches at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium. India has played 17 One Day International games at the Bangalore venue for 12 wins, four losses and one tie.

A horse that is much harder to get off is Australia captain Bailey, whose outstanding performances in India have put him in with a great chance of playing in the First Test against England later this month. Bailey was out for a duck in the Twenty20 International in Rajkot that preceded the One Day International but since then the Australia skipper has made scores of 85 runs, 92 runs not out, 43 runs, 98 runs and 156 runs. Bailey is averaging 118.50 runs in Australia’s One Day International series versus India and he has the measure of every bowler in India’s colours. Bailey is available at odds of 4.33 with Coral and Stan James to top score of Australia at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium. Bailey has been Australia’s top batsman four times out of five in India, including in the Fourth One Day International that did not produce a result because heavy rain interrupted India’s reply.