India v England: Cook enhanced to notch half-century in 1st Test
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England are heading into their winter Test series against India as the 8/1 underdogs to come out on top in the gruelling five-match slog.
Having endured a humiliating collapse that saw the tourists throw away the chance to wrap-up a series victory against Bangladesh it’s hard to argue against those odds.
However, despite all the pressure and questions surrounding his future there is one Englishman who could thrive on the sub-continent – Alastair Cook.
The England skipper averages 61.85 in India and we’re offering an enhanced 9/4 on Captain Cook scoring 50 in the 1st Innings in Rajkot (was 7/4).
And the boosts don’t stop there. Joe Root is the highest-ranked batsman on either side and has notched 611 runs against India with an impressive 101.83 average.
Root has been enhanced to 3/1 to be Top England 1st Innings Runscorer (was 11/4).
Other storylines ahead of the 1st Test include the inclusion of Lancashire’s precocious talent, Haseeb Hameed.
The 19-year-old will become only the second teenager to feature in a Test match for England since 1949.
Having notched 1,129 runs at an average of 52 in the County Championship last summer there could well be a few nibbles at the 6/1 on offer for Hameed to be England’s Top 1st Innings Runscorer.
With the ball, Moeen Ali has form against the Indians with his 19 wickets during a 3-1 series win in 2014 a personal highlight.
With the emphasis on spin, Ali finds himself as the 7/2 joint-favourite alongside Adil Rashid to be England’s Top 1st Test Wicket Taker.
For the hosts, captain Virat Kohli will be expected to shine in his own backyard. While his record against England is unspectacular it’s worth noting his two double-hundreds in the last four months.
Kohli is 7/1 to walk away with the Man of the Match award with England’s potential tormentor-in-chief Ravichandran Ashwin the 9/2 favourite in this market.
England are 9/2 to win the 1st Test with India your 1/2 favourites and the draw priced at 7/2.
Click here for the latest India v England 1st Test odds and specials.
All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing
