Australia tumble in series betting after stunning Pune win

ONLINE bookmakers have slashed Australia’s price for the 2017 Border-Gavaskar Trophy after they took a shock series lead in Pune.

The tourists were paying +1000 in the series betting at Sportsbet prior to the first Test, with India almost unbackable at -909.09.

Now the tables have turned in a big way.

The Aussies are into +175, while their hosts have moved out to +125.

A drawn series, which was +800, is now a distinct possibility at +300.

The dry, dusty wicket at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium was supposed to favour the home side’s spinners, but it was Steve O’Keefe and Nathan Lyon who did the real damage.

O’Keefe finished with 12 wickets for 70 – the best figures ever recorded by a touring bowler in a Test match in India.

It started with a devastating spell after lunch on the second day as the hosts lost their last seven wickets for only 11 runs.

“An exceptional spell – I haven’t seen that since Mitchell Johnson in the Ashes with England in Adelaide when he tore them apart,” said Darren Lehmann, the head coach of Australia.

“We took seven for 11 and that obviously turned the game.”

O’Keefe grabbed the headlines, but Lehmann had plenty of praise for his partner in crime.

“I actually thought Nathan Lyon bowled just as well, to be perfectly honest,” he said.

“Nathan’s been under pressure from a lot of sources throughout the subcontinent, myself included.

“I thought he was outstanding in this game.

“He was brilliant, so both spinners did the job, but Steven was exceptional getting the rewards.”

Another standout was Steve Smith, who posted a gritty 109 to become only the third Australian to score a second-innings Test century in India.

Mark Taylor achieved that feat in an eight-wicket win at Bangalore in 1998, while Damien Martyn rattled off 104 at Chennai in the midst of a Man of the Series performance in 2004.

Lehmann, who played in both of those Tests, rated Smith’s knock as one of his finest.

“I think it’s probably his best, especially in those conditions,” he said.

“I haven’t seen him so determined.

“He’s always determined – he’s captain of our country and plays really well obviously, but he knows conditions on that wicket [were difficult].

“To make a hundred was very special, so that’d have to be in his top few for sure.”

Also impressing with the bat was Matthew Renshaw, who battled through illness to top score with 68 in the first innings and then chimed in with a well-made 31 in the second.

The 20-year-old Queenslander’s spot was less than certain coming into this series, but his immediate grasp of the conditions in trying circumstances has made a mockery of the idea that Shaun Marsh should have opened in his stead.

“He hadn’t actually hit the ball that well in our lead-up, but for some reason when he gets out in the middle, he knows exactly what he wants to do and how he wants to do it,” Lehmann said.

“So for a 20-year-old that’s pretty special. I think he’ll back that up in Bangalore.

“For him to come out, obviously a bit crook here and there, and to bat in different positions and had a clear plan, especially in the second innings, the way he wanted to go about it.

“That’s good for a young man to have that insight into the game so early.”

Despite the result in Pune, India are well liked to square the series with victory in the second Test.

Sportsbet has Virat Kohli’s men pegged at -125 to win in Bangalore, while Australia are +275 and the draw is +310.

2017 Border-Gavaskar Trophy betting

All odds provided by Sportsbet.com.au

Series betting

India – +125
Draw – +300
Australia – +175

Correct series score

India 3-1 – +300
India 2-1 – +333
Draw 2-2 – +350
Draw 1-1 – +800
Australia 1-0 – +5000
Australia 2-1 – +400
Australia 2-0 – +2200
Australia 3-1 – +900
Australia 3-0 – +2000
Australia 4-0 – +4000

Top India series runscorer

Virat Kohli – +150
Cheteshwar Pujara – +230
Lokesh Rahul – +250
Ajinkya Rahane, Murali Vijay – +700
Karun Nair – +1400
Abhinav Mukund – +2000
Ravichandran Ashwin – +5000

(More quoted)

Top Australia series runscorer

Steven Smith – -188.68
Matthew Renshaw – +350
David Warner – +500
Peter Handscomb – +900
Shaun Marsh – +1000
Usman Khawaja – +2500
Mitchell Marsh, Glenn Maxwell – +4000
Matthew Wade – +5000
Mitchell Starc – +6600

(More quoted)

Top India series wicket-taker

Ravichandran Ashwin – -200
Ravindra Jadeja – +200
Umesh Yadav – +900
Jayant Yadav – +1700
Ishant Sharma – +3300
Bhuvneshwar Kumar – +4000
Hardik Pandya – +10000

Top Australia series wicket-taker

Steve O’Keefe – -277.78
Nathan Lyon – +170
Mitchell Starc – +900
Josh Hazlewood – +2000
Ashton Agar, Mitchell Marsh – +5000
Jackson Bird, Glenn Maxwell, Mitchell Swepson – +10000
Steven Smith – +27500