Money flows for Australia

Australia welcome back Shane Warne for the Super Test in Sydney © Getty Images

The money continues to flow for Austalia to beat the Rest of the World in the one-off Super Series Test, which starts in Sydney on Friday. Having originally made the tourists, who boast a truly world class batting line-up, favourites for the match, bet365 now make Australia firm favourites at 5/6 (1.83) to take victory.

Everyone knows that one-day matches are no real indication of Test success, but the way the Aussies bonded together to whitewash the Rest of the World in Melbourne suggests that some of the disappointment from losing the Ashes is behind them. The Rest of the World are now as big as 13/10 (2.30) and the draw, which given that it is a six-day Test is more unlikely than usual, is a 13/2 (7.50) chance.

Australia's players had something to prove in the one-day series and together with the likes of Adam Gilchrist rediscovering top form, they also proved the old cliche that a team of champions will almost always lose to a champion team. The cliche still applies for the Test, though with one or two provisos.

First of all, the two teams will show a few changes from the three one-day series matches. The Rest of the World will welcome Stephen Harmison into their fold to boost their bowling attack, while South Africa captain Graeme Smith has arrived to take the reins and open the innings. Australia, though, have the luxury of bringing in Shane Warne, fresh from his heroic 40-wicket haul in England, while Matthew Hayden will return after being dropped from the one-day squad, and Justin Langer is back, though Damien Martyn misses out.

The presence of McGrath and Warne for Australia is vital, as McGrath has lost just six matches this century and Warne can bamboozle any side, particularly at the SCG. While both bowlers' averages in Sydney are slightly higher than their overall marks, part of that can be explained by the fact that for most of their careers, the series has been over by the time it got to Sydney for what is usually the final Test. This time it's a one-off and the duo will be keen to show they remain the best at their respective crafts.

Middle-order failures
The Rest of the World's problem in the one-day series was pretty simple, their batting. Brian Lara and Jacques Kallis, in particular, looked woefully out of form and they must hope that the arrival of Smith Inzamam-ul-Haq will lift their spirits. There is no doubting their talent on paper, but I think Australia are a pretty good price at even money when you consider they are at home against a disparate bunch of players either out of form or out of practice.

Motivation is a huge factor to consider when betting on any game, but even more so on something like this. While Australia have a point to prove and all the players are playing for their futures, there is little in it for the tourists.

Australia's record at the SCG is pretty good, as you might expect. They have won 10 of the last 20 Tests there, losing just three. Overall at the SCG, they have won 48 of 92 Tests with just 27 defeats.

One other thing, even though it's over six days, October is far from being a rain-free month in Sydney and there is a decent chance that some play could be lost to the elements, which, together with the strength of the two batting line-ups, brings the draw more into play. bet365's 13/2 (7.50) could prove to be a popular price.