India v England 1st Test tips: Tourists up against it in Rajkot

The 28-year-old also managed 200 in the series before against the West Indies, so is a brilliant shout at 4/1 in an enhanced wincast – for him to top score for the Men in Blue in the first innings and they win.

Cook to be top England batsman

As mentioned in our recent feature on five reasons England can beat India, Cook has a fantastic record over the South Asian nation – averaging 54 and hitting five hundreds against them.

The England skipper’s highest and first centuries came against them too, and he is 3/1 to be top batsman for the tourists in the first innings.

Ashwin to be top India bowler

Perhaps the most likely of bets to come in goes to spin wizard Ravichandran Ashwin, who averages just 24.29 from his 39 Test matches to date.

The off-spinner was in super form against the Kiwis, taking a whopping 13 wickets in the last match, while he managed 27 for the whole three-match series. He’s still a tempting 11/8 price to be top India first innings bowler.

Ali to be top England bowler

Spin is set to be key in Rajkot and the series as a whole, and England’s Moeen Ali impressed most with the ball in the last Test against Bangladesh.

Graeme Swann and Monty Panesar helped smash the Indians last time England played here in 2012/13, so all-rounder Ali can follow suit and is 3/1 to be top bowler for the visitors in the first innings.

England method of first dismissal – fielder catch

Playing on the similar pitches in Bangladesh, openers Cook and Duckett succumbed to bowlers early and were more often than not undone by being caught in the field.

Against India, expect them to go out in a similar vein so odds of 27/20 say that their first method of dismissal will be a fielder catch.

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