The Australians have been having a tough time in test cricket ever since the ball-tempering debacle. They have not won a single series in any format of cricket since then and are now on the verge of securing their first test series win of the summer. The Wolf has no doubt that the Australians are going to be fired up for this one.
This is also the last test match that Australia is going to play before the Ashes so every single player has the motivation to do well. Marcus Stoinis has been added to the squad and should get an opportunity in this match. Will Pucovski may also get a call-up in this match.
It is going to be tough on any two players that have to sit out with the likely candidates being Kurtis Patterson and Marnus Labuschagne. The selectors may also just decide to hold Will Pucovski back a bit and make just one change but that will be harsh on the youngster.
Sri Lanka is dealing with injury concerns and will have at least two forced changes in the upcoming test. Lahiru Kumara and Dushmanth Chameera have been ruled out due to injury with their likely replacements being Vishwa Fernando and Kasun Rajitha.
The Sri Lanka bowling attack is very weak and does not look capable of picking 20 wickets. The Wolf thinks they are in for a massive leather hunt on one of the flattest decks in Australia. The interesting part will be to see how their batsmen can cope in this test.
Karunanratne, Kusal Mendis, and Niroshan Dickwella are all good players. Thirimanne and Chandimal are also experienced enough to be able to score some runs. The Australians may be without their two best batsmen but their bowling attack is world-class without a doubt. Scoring runs against them, even on flat deck, is not going to be easy.
Recommended Bets
Match Result
There is very little value in backing Australia but that is among the safest bets you can make this summer. There has been some rain predicted on day 3 and day 5 of the test so a draw might be a good outside bet as well, especially if the Sri Lankan batsmen get some runs. There is next to no chance of a Sri Lankan victory and no odds are going to be good enough to get us to back them.
Runs Over Under
These are the two players that the Wolf feels are going to score a lot of runs in this test match. The conditions at the Manuka Oval are excellent for batting. Harris scored 44 in the first test and looked good for many more while Head scored 84 to be the top-scorer for the side.
Back these two or even a couple of more Australian batsmen to get more than their over-under totals. The Wolf is fairly certain they will pay off.
Double Century Scored?
The Australians have scored a total of one century in the last one year of test cricket. They are, however, going up one of the weakest test bowling attacks in world cricket on a flat batting paradise. This is the Wolf’s favorite bet this week and the odds being offered are enticing enough for a fairly significant bet.