India v Australia spread betting

Although Australia go in to the Fourth Test with the series already sewn up, squad changes from both teams and a turning wicket could combine to ensure this final match offers plenty of potential to the sharp punter. We spoke to the Senior Cricket Market Maker at Sporting Index for his thoughts on what may happen at the Wankhede Stadium.

Top tips
"The last minute loss of Warne puts a whole new spin on things, and we consequently expect to see a lot more live in-running betting on India. Having prepared a turning pitch for this match, Warne's absence plays massively in to the home team's hands. The Indians have pride to play for, and Australia have a pretty poor record when playing dead rubbers, but obviously you just don't know how much influence this will have on the final result.

"Both teams have made some changes, such as India's decision to drop their young `keeper Patel. Considering the pitch, I understand they need reliability behind the stumps but they may miss his runs. So much of this test will depend on whether the Indian batsmen can start firing - Tendulkar should do more than he managed in the last test, but none of them have shown great form recently. On the other side, Ricky Ponting will be hugely motivated and I expect to see enormous interest on his markets. I'll also be keeping a close eye on Warne's replacement too, young Cameron White, to see how he handles himself in this role.

"Would I dare back India myself? Personally, I would not bet against the Aussies, so although I'm expecting an interesting match, we've priced up the visitors as favourites on our Win Index market, which says it all really..."

Batsman's runs
Spread betting is ideally suited to cricket because of the number of in-running markets one can bet on. One of Sporting Index's most popular markets is based on a prediction of how many runs a batsman will get over both innings. For example, ahead of this match, below is a sample of some of the opening spreads currently offered:

To bet on these markets, you either "bet high" at the higher price if you think he'll score a bunch of runs, or "bet low" if you think that player is out of form and so won't score many. How much you win (or lose) depends on how right (or wrong) you are!

Place your bets
That should give you something to think about. If you are considering having a punt then there is no better time to open an account with Sporting Index. They offer the widest range of cricket spreads and some very generous free bets for new clients. Simply open an account now, and after 10 bets you can claim your choice of:

A free £10 per run cricket bet (worth up to £500)

or

A free £100 per wicket bet (worth up to £500)

or

A free £200 per goal football bet

or

£100 cashback straight into your account.

Click here to spread bet on India v Australia at Sporting Index

Please note that odds are correct at time of publication and are subject to change.