The fifth ODI of the seven-match series between India and Australia will be played at Hyderabad. The two sides have won two games each, and a win here will mean that the other side will need to win both the remaining games to go home victors in the series.
One cannot help but feel sorry for the visitors, who have lost their players after almost every game. Instead of feeling happy over their comeback-from-behind win in the Mohali, the last two days have left the Aussies with two players less, as both, Peter Siddle and Moises Henriques have been laid low by injuries. Siddle is flying back, while Henriques could soon follow suit and will definitely miss the Hyderabad game; leaving the Aussies with only 13 fit players. This leaves India overwhelming favourites to clinch the game – 4/6 at Boylesports as compared to Totesport’s offer of 7/5 for an Australian win.
Despite all the injuries, Australia’s top and middle-order has largely remained unaffected and it will be left to the quartet of Ricky Ponting, Shane Watson, Michael Hussey and Cameron White to do bulk of the scoring. Hussey has been in supreme touch in the series and should not have problems in making a start count – 9/2 at Coral to top the batting. Ponting too hasn’t been too far behind, as he continues to rake up the half-centuries and the runs and because he bats at the number three position in the order is the favourite to top the Australian batting – 3/1 at Bet365. Bet365 also offers 6/1 for White to be Australia’s best batsman, while Watson is 4/1 favourite at Ladbrokes to become Australia’s top scorer.
Watson has slowly moved into a zone that had seen him smash two successive centuries in the Champions Trophy and will be a batsman to reckon with.
For India, Sachin Tendulkar (10/3 at Boylesports to be India’s best batsman) continues to fail getting to his 17k summit, falling seven runs short this time. However, with Siddle – his nemesis – out of the series, and Tendulkar having looked confident in his innings of 40, he could be a favourite to top the Indian batting charts. One is not yet sure of Gautam Gambhir’s (9/2 at Coral to top the Indian’s innings) fitness, but his Delhi partner, Virender Sehwag (10/3 at 888Sport) continues to flounder after getting a quick start and it is difficult to see him bat through the entire length of the innings.
To me, Yuvraj Singh (5/1 at Coral to top the batting for India) looks like he has the best chance of making it count on a featherbed at Hyderabad as he bats at the crucial number four position.
Tips:
Favourites: India (4/6 at Boylesports)
Top Indian batsman: Yuvraj Singh (5/1 at Coral)
Top Australian batsman: Shane Watson (4/1 at Ladbrokes)