Australia were put to the test for the first time this summer by a competitive Pakistan on Tuesday, however Steve Smith continued to push his case as the world’s best batsmen in all formats, scoring a brisk 80* from 51 deliveries in what turned out to be a convincing seven wicket win for Australia. The series heads to Perth for the final T20 where Pat Cummins won’t be, with Australia deciding to rest him, in readiness for the upcoming test series against Pakistan.
Australia vs Pakistan 3rd T20 Betting Tips
Fri Nov 5, Optus Stadium, 7:30pm (AEDT)
Australia
Steve Smith has been regarded for years as the best test batsmen for the last few years, however his quest to become the clear number one in all three formats is beginning to take charge. Whatever questions may have been posed around his T20 ability have been comprehensively answered with an incredible average from 146 from three innings so far this summer and at a remarkable $4.50 with SportsBet, he is simply to hard to go past as Australia’s leading run scorer.
Ashton Agar has been a surprise factor for this Australian T20 side, anchoring the middle overs for the Aussies. Agar has bowled economically along with taking six wickets, Agar now looms as a key player in Australia’s T20 World Cup hopes next year. At his home ground in Perth, an expected fast pitch will suit Agar’s variation in pace. At $5.50 with SportsBet, Agar is a great value choice to be Australia’s leading wicket taker.
Agar top AUS wickets
$4.50
Pakistan
Iftikhar Ahmed top scored with 62* in Canberra on Tuesday and is a juicy option at $9 with SportsBet however, given he will likely be batting at six means he probably won’t get enough of an opportunity to produce again. Mohammad Rizwan looks a great value selection at $7 with SportsBet considering he will bat at four. Rizwan has looked comfortable against the Australian bowlers and just needs to put it all together, a great value selection for Pakistan’s leading run scorer given the struggles of Fakhar Zaman and Haris Sohail.
Mohammed Amir is a world class bowler who has had success against Australia and although the stats may not reflect it, he was clearly Pakistan’s most dangerous bowler in the 2nd T20 on Tuesday. A fast, bouncy pitch in Perth will suit Amir and if he can extract some swing early, he will be a handful for the Australian’s to face. At $4 with SportsBet he provides enough value with enough certainty. A great choice for Pakistan’s leading wicket taker.
Prediction:
Australia have been in dominant form this summer and get an opportunity to ruffle some feathers on a fast track at Optus Stadium. With a batting line up that is looking near flawless and despite missing Pat Cummins, a world class bowling attack that covers all bases, the Australians are well suited to round out two consecutive undefeated T20 series in a row. At $1.25 again the Aussies don’t provide much individual value, but they are a nice anchor for a multi.
