Top batsman tips & specials for India vs. Australia 4th ODI

THINGS keep going from bad to worse for the Australian cricket team.

Now 3-0 down in their One Day International series against India, the tourists have also lost allrounder Ashton Agar to a broken finger.

“Ashton injured his right little finger whilst fielding in the match last night,” team doctor Richard Saw said on Monday.

“Following the conclusion of the match he went for x-rays which have confirmed a fracture of the finger.

“He will return home to Australia and consult a specialist with a possibility of surgery.”

Agar’s absence opens the door for Adam Zampa to state his case in Bangalore on Thursday.

The Aussies had only just regained the services of opening batsman Aaron Finch, who starred with 124 in the series-sealing defeat at Indore.

That knock had put Steve Smith’s men in a commanding position, only for a middle-order collapse to derail any hopes of setting a truly imposing target.

India, chasing 294, got the job done with two overs and five wickets to spare.

Speaking to reporters after the match, Smith expressed frustration at Australia’s inability to capitalise on solid starts.

“That’s probably bit of a trend for this format and the Test format as well,” said the captain.

“We are quite often getting ourselves in good positions but not taking advantage of those. Today was no different, first 30 overs.

“We continually address it. It’s just hard to put your finger on what we are actually doing or not doing to get the results we are after.

“Today, it was about execution.”

Hardik Pandya betting specials

• To score 50 – $3 at Ladbrokes
• Top India bowler – $6.50 at William Hill
• Top India batsman – $8 at Ladbrokes
• Man of the match – $11 at Sportsbet
• Top match batsman – $12 at Sportsbet

With the likes of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma to worry about, Australia never saw this guy coming.

Hardik Pandya sent out a few warning shots with his recent displays in Sri Lanka, but he has stepped up again in this series.

The 23-year-old allrounder now looks a genuine match-winner with bat in hand, combining brute strength with a maturity that was not present in the early years of his limited-overs career.

Is Hardik Pandya the seam-bowling all-rounder India had been searching for all these years? @bhogleharsha shares his thoughts. pic.twitter.com/UE7ETd2yG7

— Cricbuzz (@cricbuzz) September 25, 2017

Twice in three games he has helped steer his side to victory – first with 83 alongside MS Dhoni in a game-changing rescue job in Chennai, then with a brisk 78 batting at second drop on Sunday.

He has also snared five wickets as the supporting act for star seamers Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Jasprit Bumrah.

The bookies continue to offer great value for Pandya nevertheless, not least the $11 quote for a third MOTM award in four games.

India vs. Australia match tip

The fix is a simple one for the Aussies: stop throwing runs and wickets away.

Middle-order collapses and late-over blowouts have become an alarmingly common occurrence.

With head coach Darren Lehmann back home making preparations for the upcoming Ashes Test series, Smith needs to show some real leadership and find a way to keep his charges focused for 100 overs.

The Indians are quite literally on top of the world after jumping to first place in the ICC’s ODI team rankings.

Perhaps the most impressive thing is that this series is done and dusted without the likes of Virat and Rohit having to do anything extra special.

The hosts also look much stabler than Australia, whose deck-shuffling took an interesting turn in game three when they dropped Matthew Wade for part-time wicketkeeper Peter Handscomb.

Sadly for the visitors, a 4-0 lead to India looks likely.

India to win – $1.58 at Sportsbet.com.au