THE EDGE: Previews Wednesday’s 1st Test between West Indies v India with a recommended BETDAQ bet.
MATCH OVERVIEW:
The Test cricket keeps coming on BETDAQ Betting Exchange as India travel to West Indies for a Test, ODI and T20 series. All the talk from the locals is that “West Indies cricket is dead’ after they failed to make it to the ODI World Cup. It was always going to be a tough time in the Qualifier with only two spots, but some of the West Indies’ performances were very poor, almost embarrassing. Will a World Cup without the West Indies be the same? The reality is, they aren’t the force of old.
Much debate has focused around the statement that West Indies cricket is dead. The answer to that is it definitely isn’t. Why? Because India tour now in two Tests, three ODI’s and five T20’s. Money talks in sport, and an Indian tour brings money. West Indies cricket will bounce back. Compare their situation to the Netherlands who have qualified for the World Cup beating the West Indies along the way – they have no International fixtures scheduled at all because of lack of funding from the ICC, and they even had their coach basically begging for a fixture or a series before the World Cup starts in his press conference on Monday.
India will be expected to win here, and they come into the series as the heavy favourites. They are going through a lot of changes in the Test side at the moment though, and it might not just be a routine win. They still have enough stars to control this Test, and conditions should suit them too.
WEATHER AND PITCH WATCH:
We haven’t had many Tests at Windsor Park in Roseau – this is actually only the sixth Test taking place here. It has been a result venue with four of the five Tests finishing with a result. Ironically the only Test that finished with a draw involved India but that was way back in 2011 – that was actually the first Test match here. I wouldn’t read too much into the Test records here to be honest as there hasn’t been a Test since 2017 and world cricket has changed a lot since then. I would expect classic West Indies conditions of recent years which is usually low and slow wickets.
RECOMMENDED BET:
It’s really hard to see past India here, even if they are going through a period of transition. They still made it to the World Test Championship Final recently to lose to a brilliant Australian side, and this West Indies side is nothing to be afraid of. Their best chance of a result seems to be a draw on a very flat wicket – India have a quality bowling line-up though and while they might not be at full force, they still have a lot of Test wickets in their attack. I don’t see West Indies winning so it’s the draw v India for me, and I’m happy to take some 1.42 on India.
The Edge Says:
Three points win India to beat West Indies at 1.42 with Betdaq Exchange
View the market here -> https://betdaq.biz/WIInd
IN-RUNNING STRATEGY:
I feel this could be quite a one sided Test, but I would want to see how the wicket plays before forming a strong in-running strategy. There’s no rush in Test cricket, and you have time to see how the wicket is playing in the first morning. As I said above, West Indies’ best chance of a result is a draw so they might ask for a flat wicket – if it’s the usual low and slow West Indies wicket though then I’d expect India to bowl them out very cheaply.
