England and India played out a draw in the opening game of their five-match series, now the tour heads to the home of cricket for the 2nd Test, set to kick off Thursday night from Lord’s Cricket Ground in London.
Once again, we have a full preview and betting tips for the clash below!
England vs India 2nd Test Betting Tips
Lord’s Cricket Ground, Thursday 12th August, 8.00pm (AEST)
England Squad
Joe Root (c), James Anderson, Jonny Bairstow, Dom Bess, Stuart Broad, Rory Burns, Jos Buttler, Zak Crawley, Sam Curran, Hasseb Hameed, Dan Lawrence, Jack Leach, Craig Overton, Ollie Pope, Ollie Robinson, Dom Sibley, Mark Wood.
The top three in the English batting line-up is under a massive microscope at the moment. In the first Test, Rory Burns, Dom Sibley and Zak Crawley averaged just 16.16 between them, and given they came into the series under some heat, we could possibly see a change at the top of the order in the 2nd test.
England opted for four frontline seamers in Anderson, Robinson, Broad and Curran in the 1st Test, and if any of those were to come out it looks to be Sam Curran. The left-armer was disappointing in the first innings with figures of 0/57 off 15 overs. If they wanted to keep the left-arm option, the could drop Dan Lawrence, slide Buttler and Curran up a spot and add a front-ling spin bowling option in Jack Leach.
India Squad
Virat Kohli (c), Ajinkya Rahane, Mayank Agarwal, Ravi Ashwin, Jasprit Bumrah, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Ravi Jadeja, Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj, Rishabh Pant, Axar Patel, Cheteshwar Pujara, KL Rahul, Wriddhiman Saha, Ishant Sharma, Rohit Sharma, Prithvi Shaw, Shardul Thakur, Hanuma Vihari, Umesh Yadav, Surakumar Yadav.
The two opening positions were the ones in question in the Indian batting line-up, but after combining for a 97-run partnership in the 1st innings and a 34-run partnership in the 2nd, it’s hard to see the selectors making a change in the top six now. Jadeja was brilliant with 56 in the first innings, so he will also remain at seven. Whether the Indians choose to play four seamers or three and a spinner will be the only question heading into Lords.
Ravi Ashwin is waiting in the wings if they choose to go with a spinner, while Shardul Thakur will likely be the unlucky paceman should that be the case.
Match Preview
We were well on our way to a thrilling Day 5 in the 1st Test before rain spoiled the party. India finished Day 4 at 52/1 chasing 209 to win and were probably odds on to win the match, but on a Day 5 Nottingham pitch, there might have been a few surprises in store.
Joe Root was named man of the match for his dazzling hundred in the 2nd innings, where England scored 303 to set up a somewhat defendable total after scoring just 183 in the first innings. India looked the better side throughout the game though, scoring 278 in the first innings on the back of a great knock of 84 from opener KL Rahul.
I’ve got massive reservations over the English top order, it just looks so shaky at the moment. Without Ben Stokes they look even weaker. Going into the 1st Test I thought that the English seamers would give them the strong advantage with the Duke ball in familiar conditions, but with the Indian openers having found form and playing the swinging ball quite well, the advantage in my eyes swings back to the touring side.
The three-pronged pace attack of Bumrah, Shami and Siraj all look in fantastic form and have clearly been practicing lots with the Duke ball. Really like the Indians to claim this 2nd Test providing the weather stays nice, which it is currently forecast to do.
