The first ever World Test Championship final is here and India and New Zealand prepare to do battle at the Rose Bowl in Southampton ahead of what should be a pulsating Test match.
Our expert tipster has cast his eye over what he believes are the best bets for this one-off Test and it should be an extremely close game on England’s south coast.
Read on for our NetBet preview, betting tips and odds on the World Test Championship final. Will Virat Kohli’s men come out on top? Or can Kane Williamson’s side continue their good form?
India vs New Zealand WTC final
18th-22nd June
Southampton, UK
Live on Sky Sports Cricket
India vs New Zealand Preview
These two sides meet at a neutral venue in the inaugural World Test Championship final. The Rose Bowl in Southampton is the venue for this match and normally the pitch at the Rose Bowl is a batsman’s paradise, with runs galore available.
The weather, however, looks like it will play a significant part sadly. With rain forecast over all five days, a result looks increasingly unlikely so we keep our fingers crossed that the weather improves.
If you look at both sides, they are clearly the top two Test teams in the world. There are matchwinners on either side and India have the likes of Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Ajinkya Rahane in their batting line-up. That trio are a match for any bowling attack on the planet.
New Zealand have dramatically improved in the Test arena and recently beat England in a two-Test series on home soil. That win was masterminded by the superb batting of Devon Conway and their plethora of quick bowlers such as Tim Southee, Kyle Jamieson and Trent Boult, who all impressed.
Can New Zealand’s bowling attack keep the attacking Indian batting line-up quiet? That could be the key to this Test match.
India vs New Zealand Odds
It is 11/4 for India to emerge victorious with New Zealand 2/1 to win. The draw is 21/20.
India vs New Zealand Betting Tips
There are three bets in particular that we think could be really good value for all of our NetBet tipsters! With many players in good form on both sides, there are some really good prices available.
Tim Southee to be man-of-the-match – 14/1
Southee has been in superb form in recent months, culminating in a brilliant six-wicket haul at Lord’s in his previous Test match, where New Zealand drew with England. His record in England is excellent, with his ability to swing and seam the ball crucial. With damp weather on the way, he could be a real handful for the Indian batting line-up.
LBW first method of dismissal – 11/2
With the weather casting a pretty bleak picture over proceedings, the ball should be able to talk in the overcast conditions. Whoever bowls first should be able to cause a bit of chaos with the ball in hand and the swinging ball presents opportunities to pin batsman in front of the stumps. 11/2 for this bet looks really tantalising.
Cheteshwar Pujara top India batsman – 10/3
Whatever happens in this Test, batting will be hard. You need a player who has bravery, technique but also who puts the bad ball away when it presents itself. Pujara is India’s number three and he is a really hard batsman to dismiss with no obvious weakness. He could be the most prized wicket in these conditions and he could go on the radar with his pragmatic style of play.
*Odds subject to change.
