India v England second Test predictions and cricket betting tips

Racing Post
 
India v England second Test predictions and cricket betting tips

Exclusive new customer sign up offers

Where to watch India v England

TNT Sports 1, from 4am Friday

Best bet

England
1pt 12-5 Betfair, Paddy Power

Jasprit Bumrah top match wicket-taker
1pt 7-2 bet365

India v England second Test predictions

India have not lost a Test series on their own patch in 12 years but England produced one of their greatest ever performances in the format in Hyderabad last week to take 1-0 lead in the five-match tussle.

In the build-up to the series, England were widely dismissed as too inexperienced and unprepared to trouble India and that looked to be the case after they slipped to a first-innings deficit of 190.

But after a coming-of-age knock of 196 from Ollie Pope in the second innings, England put themselves back in contention, skittling out India for just 202 second time around, thanks to superb figures of 7-62 from debutant spinner Tom Hartley, to win the match.

India should have performed better in the chase, even on a wearing pitch, but England deserve enormous credit for the win with the hosts having never previously lost a Test on their own patch when ahead by more than 100 runs.

England will now be determined to prove that win was no fluke in the second Test in Visakhapatnam and it seems as though they are again being underestimated in the betting.

Jack Leach will miss out with a knee injury but Hartley should be oozing confidence, while England also have the option of drafting in James Anderson for Mark Wood.

As well as Pope, there were some fine batting performances from Ben Duckett and Ben Stokes for England in the first Test and India going into this match missing key personnel.

Not only do the absences of Virat Kohli and KL Rahul weaken them with the bat but Ravindra Jadeja having been ruled out through injury is a massive blow given what he offers in both disciplines.

England look overpriced and are worth a bet to take a 2-0 lead in India.

The absence of Jadeja means India may be less reliant on spin this time around and they could look to Jasprit Bumrah for inspiration.

Bumrah did not look fazed by England's resurgence in the second innings of the first Test, claiming 4-41, and he is worth a bet to be the top wicket-taker in the second match of the series.