2017 ICC: India v Pakistan Betting Tips

George Orwell must have had first-hand experience of India versus Pakistan encounters when he said ‘sport is war minus shooting’. With bilateral ties affected due to political tensions, these matches became few, and far between. That makes the 2017 ICC Champions Trophy encounter between India and Pakistan at Edgbaston on Sunday, June 4th more exciting.

Can India live up to expectations?
India are the defending Champions and had the perfect preparation for this tournament. They thumped New Zealand and Bangladesh in the practice matches to highlight their credentials. Batting, bowling and fielding everything clicked like magic for Virat Kohli’s men.

More importantly, the performance of their pace bowling quartet – Umesh Yadav, Bhuvneswar Kumar, Mohammad Shami and Jaspirt Bumrah – makes interesting reading. Probably for the first time in history, India start their encounter against Pakistan with a better pace attack.

That is only half of the story as the off-field rumblings threaten to derail their tournament chances. The Kohli-Anil Kumble spat has sprung at the most inopportune time. Can the team shrug it off and mount a challenge?

Pakistan – low on expectations but high on potential
Pakistan has always been a team full of surprises. This squad too has the ability to defeat any side on its day but at the same time can crumble easily. Batting remains a worry for new captain Sarfraz Ahmed though he still has Mohammad Hafeez, Azhar Ali and Shoaib Malik at his disposal. Babar Azam will be the key though, given his consistency in recent times.

Bowling as usual is very strong with the likes of Mohammad Amir, Junaid Khan and Hasan Ali offering pace. Teenage leg-spinner Shadab Khan will add variety with his variations.

The worry for Pakistan though is their batting inconsistencies. This match promises to be a tight fight of their bowling against Indian batting.

Form & Stats
India played the least number of matches (27) among the Champions Trophy participants post 2015 World Cup. Their preparation went well though, against New Zealand and Bangladesh.

Pakistan during the last couple of years played only 31 matches and won just 14. Warm-up matches have not gone exactly to plan as the game against Australia saw only 10 overs while Bangladesh ran them closer than expected.

Picks
India start as favorites to win the match as indicated by the odds of $1.44 (bet365). On the other hand, Pakistan’s win comes at odds of $2.75 (Ladbrokes) which looks slightly risky.

TIP: India to win – $1.44 at bet365

Kohli is crucial for India’s chances and at odds of $3.50 (William Hill), the Indian captain is a good pick to be their best batsman. For Pakistan, it should be Shoaib Malik at odds of $6 (bet365).

TIP: Virat Kohli top India run scorer – $3.50 at William Hill

TIPS ARE SIMPLY THE AUTHOR’s OPINION. ALWAYS GAMBLE RESPONSIBLY