England hardly put a foot wrong in their 227-run thrashing of India in the first Test between the sides but the odds suggest the Men in Blue will fight back when the teams reconvene in Chennai.
Joe Root’s men are 49/20 to take a 2-0 lead in the series, while India can be backed at 20/29 to win the second Test and the draw is available at 19/5.
The main personnel change in the England camp sees Jos Buttler return home as part of the team’s rotation policy with Ben Foakes coming in as wicket-keeper, while India are expected to shake up their bowling attack.
Kuldeep Yadav Can Boost India’s Chances With the Ball
India’s problems started in the first innings of the opening Test when England captain Root fired an impressive 218 runs off 377 deliveries, contributing to a total of 578 at the MA Chidambaram Stadium.
The hosts simply could not make any inroads with the ball. Star paceman Jasprit Bumrah did what he could on a spin-friendly pitch and though Ishant Sharma and Ravi Ashwin kept their economy rates low, they could not find a wicket.
Shahbaz Nadeem was perhaps the most disappointing of the Indian bowlers, conceding an eye-watering 167 runs in that first innings and taking only three wickets in the first Test match.
He had been deployed as India’s second-choice spin bowler but failed to make an impact and there are suggestions Kuldeep Yadav could come into the fold for the second Test.
He has not featured in the format since the start of 2019 but has taken 24 wickets in his six Test matches so far, including a five-wicket haul against Australia in Sydney, and he could be worth a bet to be India’s top first-innings wicket-taker at 10/3.
Root the Obvious But Correct Choice to Top Score
So instrumental has Root been in England’s recent Test matches that he has been trimmed to 7/4 to top score in his side’s first innings in Chennai.
But given his form, even that price looks like it harbours some value. The surface may be different this time around but it should still favour spin and Root has looked by far the most accomplished in sub-continent conditions.
He can read spin well and his scores of 218 and 40 in the last Test followed tallies of 228, one, 186 and 11 against Sri Lanka.
Leach Can Make the Most of Conditions in Chennai
James Anderson impressed in the first Test with five wickets across the two innings but coach Chris Silverwood was quick to affirm that does not mean the paceman will start the second Test.
Given his involvement is uncertain and spinner Dom Bess looked short of confidence later in the first Test when firing a number of full tosses at Virat Kohli, Jack Leach could represent the best value in England’s top bowler market at 13/5.
He took six wickets in the first Test and ten in the two battles with Sri Lanka and could be the key to disrupting an India middle-order who crumbled last time out.
*All odds correct at time of writing