3 minute read
India will be keen to put their five-game Test series to bed when they host England in the Fourth Test at the JSCA International Stadium Complex in Ranchi beginning on Friday, February 23.
The hosts have come from 1-0 down to lead 2-1 after three matches, with an emphatic 434-run victory in Rajkot - all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja claiming player of the match honours with 112 runs and 7-92 with the ball.
He should once again come to the fore in Ranchi, with early analysis of the pitch suggesting that spin will be key once again on what could be described as a 'Bunsen burner (turner)' prepared by the ground staff at the stadium.
Given the nature of the pitch, India are priced as heavy favourites at 4/9, with England outsiders at 3/1 and a draw at 15/2 - the five-day weather forecast suggests inclement weather could affect proceedings on days three, four and five.
This will be just the third Test played at the JSCA International Stadium Complex, with India's drawn match against Australia in 2017 coupled with an innings victory over South Africa two years later.
Batters reigned supreme in the 2017 Test with 1,285 runs scored for the loss of just 25 wickets, while Rohit Sharma tallied 215 in the 2019 demolition of the Proteas. Jadeja will be a likely wicket taker on the surface - he has 12 wickets in four innings at an average of 19.41 at the venue.
His spin twin Ravichandran Ashwin has enjoyed little success in Ranchi, but that should change this week. He has just three wickets in four innings at an average of 87. However, without the talents of pacer Jasprit Bumrah, who will miss the Fourth Test, India are likely to rely heavily on Jadeja, Ashwin and Kuldeep Yadav.
Jadeja Over 4.5 match wickets at 10/11 is extremely backable – he has hit that mark in four of his last six home Test matches - as is 9/2 in the Top Bowler market.
For England, the talk is that Ollie Robinson could play and that Ben Stokes could even bowl, but it's likely that the spin attack of Tom Hartley, Rehan Ahmed and Joe Root will take up most of the overs.
Ahmed, England's leg-spinner, could do damage if the pitch turns as much as advertised. He has over 4.5 match wickets in two of four Test appearances and has the deceptive googly that could trouble tailenders specifically. At Evens, it's an excellent bet to consider.
With the bat, it's impossible to look past the form of Indian opener Yashasvi Jaiswal. The exciting strokemaker has scores of 80, 209 and 214* in this series and seems to show sheer disdain for England's spin attack smashing 50 fours and 22 sixes in six innings.
He has a modest Over 80.5 match runs line (5/6) - he's hit that in all three Test this series – and is 12/5 to score a century. Add in 8/11 odds to hit over 8.5 match fours and 1/1 to hit two match sixes – marks he has hit in all three games to date. A healthy pay day could be had if that form continues.
For England, given the expected turning nature of the pitch and no Bumrah, Joe Root should be England's shining light – and it's important he scores runs sooner rather than later. The Indian pacer has removed Root three times this series, with Root unable score more than 18 in his last five innings, with a series high score of just 29.
However, the talent is there, and a batter is always one knock away from being back in form. Root to score a first innings 50 at 13/8 could be worth dabbling on, as batting will get trickier towards the back end of the Test.
Looking at the outright betting for the series, a 4-1 win for India at 5/6 seems the most likely outcome – and boasts some returns from a larger bet.
