Cricket Betting: India vs Afghanistan Test Preview

It’s time to set the statistics, history and rivalries aside and enjoy the beauty of Test cricket. When Afghanistan take to the ground at the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on June 14th for their inaugural Test against India, it will mark a historic event in the annals of the war-ravaged nation.

The motley group of players who rose from playing in the refugee camps of Pakistan to the top destinations of world cricket will script a new chapter in their history. It is time for all of us to enjoy the rise of Afghan cricket.

India – one eye on the upcoming England tour
India are the reigning ICC number one ranked Test nation and most of their success is built on home success. They have won 20 of their last 27 home Tests with just one loss during this period – to Australia in the recent series. The team is set to miss regular captain Virat Kohli, who got injured after getting ready for a county stint with Surrey. There are a couple of other regular starters missing as well, although there is enough depth in this side to not worry about their absence.

Cheteshwar Pujara and his love affair with Test cricket will continue, as he looks to make the most of his chance before embarking on the England tour. Same goes with Ajinkya Rahane, who gets to lead in this match and is on the verge of joining Pujara as a ‘Test specialist’. The likes of Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, and Kuldeep Yadav make India an enviable bowling attack.

Afghanistan – count them off at your own peril
Afghanistan and its set of superstars have played so much cricket around the world that they are already household names. The likes of Mohammad Nabi, Mohammad Shahzad, Rashid Khan, and Mujeeb Ur Rahman will be itching to prove that their white-ball mettle is not a flash in the pan. The visitors have consistently bossed fellow Associates in the ICC Intercontinental Cup, but this will be a step up for each of them. Playing out sessions and being patient with both bat and ball will be crucial.

Bowling will remain Afghanistan’s best bet as their spinners have the tools to stifle and bamboozle the Indian batsmen, who have recently lost their mantle of being the best players of spin.

Stats
– India have won 20 of their last 27 Tests at home, losing only 1.
– India are unbeaten in 6 Tests at this venue – 3 wins and 3 draws.
– KL Rahul has 6 50+ scores in his last 8 home innings.
– India have won 7 of their last 12 Tests, losing only 2.
– India played host to 3 debutant teams so far, winning 2 and drawing 1.

Picks
TIP: India to win the match – 1.30 at Sportsbet
TIP: Cheteshwar Pujara to score a fifty in the match – 1.61 at Ladbrokes
TIP: KL Rahul to score a fifty in the first innings – 2.37 at Ladbrokes