Australia heavy favourites heading into India Test series

Cricket betting sites have Australia as heavy favourites to defeat India in the upcoming five-Test series starting on November 22 in Perth.

Bookmaker Bet365 has the home team at just $1.44 to win the series outright, with India paying $4 to claim the Border-Gavaskar Trophy for a fifth consecutive time.

The series score with the shortest odds is a 4-1 result to Australia ($5.50), closely followed by 3-1 and 3-2 at $7 apiece.

India come into the series having just been whitewashed at home by New Zealand, putting their World Test Championship chances in jeopardy.

For India to ensure their place in the final next year, they need to defeat Australia 4-0 ($41).

Lose or draw any more Tests, and they will have to rely on other results going their way to qualify.

India coach Gautam Gambhir recently defended his side’s form, dismissing any question marks about whether the team is in transition.

“Honestly, I’m not even thinking that the team is in transition and that kind of stuff,” he said.

“The only thing that is there at the moment in my mind is we go to Australia to play five Test matches.

“There are some incredibly tough people in that dressing room who have to achieve a lot of good things in the future as well.

“For me, I think they’re still very hungry and till the time they’re very hungry, I’m sure that they’ve got a lot of fire to achieve a lot of success for the nation.”

Gambhir spoke specifically on Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, both of whom were underwhelming against New Zealand.

“I have got no concerns whatever over Virat and Rohit,” he said.

“I think they are incredibly tough men.

“They’ve achieved a lot for Indian cricket, and they will continue to achieve a lot in future as well.

“I think for me at the most important thing is that they still working really hard, they are still passionate, they still want to achieve a lot more and that is something which is very important.”

India will be missing Rohit for the Perth Test, leaving star quick Jasprit Bumrah to captain the team for the second time.

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