No betting against India and Sri Lanka

Controversy aside, Saurav Ganguly's India were too strong for Zimbabwe © Getty Images

It was no surprise, but the manner of the respective victories by India and Sri Lanka over Zimbabwe and Bangladesh last week proved that there is absolutely no point in backing either of the outsiders in the second Tests, which begin on Tuesday. Having both won by an innings, both India and Sri Lanka will be virtually unbackable for this week's encounters and the hope is that you managed to get some sort of value for 2-0 series wins before the start of the first Test. If not, you may have to sit this one out. If not, then it will probably take some extended horrendous weather to stop your bets coming off.

India steamrolled Zimbabwe in the first Test and nothing in that contest suggests things will be any different this time round in Harare. Zimbabwe may have home advantage but that means little when you have won just eight of your 82 Tests. Just one of those wins has come in their last 20 matches, and though all of their wins have come at home, they've won just four in their last 20, and four of their eight wins have been against Bangladesh.

On a positive note, they have beaten India twice and both of them were at Harare, venue for this week's match. However, the Zimbabwe side of this week is vastly different, and vastly inferior to that of 1998 and 2001, and it would take a much braver man than me to give them a chance this time round.

Sri Lanka too strong
Sri Lanka's win over Bangladesh in Colombo means they have now won eight of their past 20 Tests, and they are clearly growing in confidence having beaten West Indies 2-0 in their last outing. That was at home, and on their own soil they are a formidable outfit. In their last 20 matches in Sri Lanka they have won 12 of them, drawn three and lost just five. In contrast, Bangladesh have still won just once in 39 Tests and away from home, they really struggle, having lost 20 and drawn just two of their 22 Test matches.

The Sri Lankan batsmen will again be licking their lips at the prospect of facing a weak Bangladesh attack, especially as none of them made a century in the first Test. Tillakaratne Dilshan, Thilan Samaraweera and Mahela Jayawardene all made half-centuries in Colombo and they, along with Marvan Atapattu and Sanath Jayasuriya, will be thinking of adding to their century tally this week.

Mohammad Ashraful remains the only Bangladesh player to have hit a century against Sri Lanka, but Habibul Bashar showed his talent with a fine 84 in Colombo and will be hopeful of repeating the feat this time round.