West Indies v India preview, player tips & predictions

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MATCH INFO
West Indies v India
Venue: Old Trafford, Manchester, Thursday, June 27, 10.30am (British time)
Head to head odds: West Indies $3.6; India $1.28
Last time they met: India 1-105 (14.5 overs) d West Indies 104 (31.5 overs) in Thiruvananthapuram, November 1, 2018.

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India heads into this match still undefeated and seemingly on its way into the semi-finals without too many problems, while the West Indies have promised plenty this World Cup but will ultimately head home disappointed after several near misses.
It’s cold comfort for the Windies but their five-run loss to New Zealand on Saturday was a classic, with Carlos Brathwaite’s last strike headed over the fence to give them a memorable win, only for fielder Trent Boult to haul in the catch and deny them.
Still, there is little doubt the West Indies will provide a significant test for the Indian team, which somehow seems a little less dangerous now that dashing opener Shikhar Dhawan is out of the tournament with a broken thumb, sustained against Australia from a Pat Cummins delivery.
Dhawan has been replaced in the squad by explosive wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant. It will be fascinating to see whether the Indian selectors throw Pant, who was considered most unlucky not to make the original squad, straight into action possibly at No.4. We felt he certainly should have been included from the start and he could still play a key role in India’s charge for glory. Few batsmen score as quickly and easily as he does when he is in full stride.
A win here for India would all but assure them a place in the semis. We think they will win but we are reluctant to take the $1.30 on offer with leading cricket bookie William Hill.

This West Indies v India betting preview will run you through betting options for match 34 of 48 of the ICC World Cup 2019.

West Indies v India odds:

For full markets visit the William Hill website.

HEAD TO HEAD BETTING:
West Indies $3.60, India $1.28
Prediction: India have everything to play for but there is no doubt the West Indies are a wounded and dangerous opponent. They have batsmen capable of making big hundreds, yet it may be their much-lauded bowling that lets them down. None of their pacemen haven been consistently able to trouble the better batsmen at this tournament.

TOP RUN-SCORER BETTING:

West Indies:
Top five in betting: Chris Gayle $3.50, Shai Hope $4.33, Evin Lewis $5, Darren Bravo $5.50, Nicholas Pooran $5.50

Top scorers from past five ODIs:
v New Zealand: Carlos Brathwaite 101
v Bangladesh: Shai Hope 96
v England: Nicholas Pooran 63
v South Africa: Match abandoned
v Australia: Shai Hope 68

India:
Top five in betting: Virat Kohli $3.25, Rohit Sharma $4, Lokesh Rahul $4.50, Vijay Shankar $7.50, Hardik Pandya $7.50.

Top scorers from past five ODIs:
v Afghanistan: Virat Kohli 67
v Pakistan: Rohit Sharma 140
v New Zealand: Match abandoned
v Australia: Shikhar Dhawan 117
v South Africa: Rohit Sharma 122no

Top batter prediction: We tipped Virat Kohli to top the charts against Afghanistan, which he did with a good 67 in tough batting conditions. We will stick with Kohli again because we feel he will step up with the finals on the horizon. Keep an eye on late team news and if they pitch Rishabh Pant in, he is worth a small wager at good odds too. No batsmen for the West Indies has consistently made runs, but we have liked the look of youngster Shimron Hetmyer. The left-hander should be available around the $6 mark when William Hill updates markets on this match.

TOP WICKET-TAKER BETTING:

West Indies:
Top five in betting: Oshane Thomas $4.33, Kemar Roach $4.50, Jason Holder $4.50, Sheldon Cottrell $4.50, Andre Russell $4.50.

Top wicket-takers from past five ODIs:
v New Zealand: Sheldon Cottrell 4-56
v Bangladesh: Oshane Thomas 1-52, Andre Russell 1-42
v England: Shannon Gabriel 2-49
v South Africa: Match abandoned
v Australia: Carlos Brathwaite 3-67

India:
Top five in betting: Jasprit Bumrah $3.50, Yuzvendra Chahal $4, Bhuvneshwar Kumar $4.50, Kuldeep Yadav $5, Mohammed Shami $5.

Top wicket-takers from past five ODIs:
v Afghanistan: Mohammed Shami 4-40
v Pakistan: Vijay Shankar 2-22, Kuldeep Yadav 2-32, Hardik Pandya 2-44,
v New Zealand: Match abandoned
v Australia: Jasprit Bumrah 3-61, Bhuvneshwar Kumar 3-50
v South Africa: Yuzvendra Chahal 4-51

Top bowler tip: Lack of variety might have hurt the West Indies’ attack in England and Wales. We will have a small wager on Oshane Thomas, who has pace and youth on his side. This pitch has offered something for all bowlers, despite also being good for scoring. The runs have flowed and the wickets have tumbled at Old Trafford. The Indian attack has more variety and we will back Yuzvendra Chahal ($4) to bamboozle the Windies with his leggies.

WGL best bets: West Indies v India

Each of our ICC World Cup betting previews will highlight some potential wins for punters, or where our cricket tipsters think there is value to be found.

Virat Kohli man of the match at $6

The Indian skipper is a class act and held the batting line-up together against a strong challenge from Afghanistan. Back Kohli to dominate this match with a big score.

West Indies v India prediction

Another intriguing match among many at this fascinating World Cup. We expect the Indians to win handsomely but there have been upsets, especially the Sri Lanka win against England. We think the $1.30 on offer is about right price-wise but we want to wait and see how India adapt to the tournament without the match-winning presence of Shikhar Dhawan opening the batting. True, they have plenty of other potential match-winners but we might just look on in this game rather than bet up.

ALSO READ:
ICC World Cup 2019 betting guide
ICC World Cup 2019 leading wicket-taker
Cricket betting sites
ICC World Cup 2019 leading run-scorer
ICC World Cup 2019 player of tournament

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