Can the Proteas get their Cricket World Cup campaign back on track with a win at Southampton?
Can the Proteas get their Cricket World Cup campaign back on track with a win at Southampton?
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South Africa | +175 at William Hill | Place Bet |
India | -227.27 at William Hill | Place Bet |
It has taken less than a week for South Africa to fall apart at the 2019 ICC Cricket World Cup.
After losing to England first up, the Proteas conceded 330 runs to Bangladesh and failed to chase it down despite strong starts from every man in the top order.
Faf du Plessis’ men have lacked intensity so far and now head to Southampton with an awful lot of ground to make up on the top teams.
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Among those pressing for the title are India, who have yet to feature in the tournament.
Virat Kohli and company suffered some mixed results in the World Cup warm-up games, losing to New Zealand and then thrashing Bangladesh.
Online bookmaker Bovada has the Indians second in line to win CWC 2019 at +333, with England leading the way on +200.
South Africa are now paying +2200 in the Cricket World Cup outright betting after starting the tournament around +900.
Markets courtesy of Bovada
The Indian squad is flush with batting skill, but nobody comes close to Virat Kohli in white-ball cricket.
The numbers speak for themselves: in 227 ODI games he has amassed 10,843 runs, 41 centuries and 49 fifties at an average of 59.57 per innings.
Kohli was quiet with the bat in the warm-up games, but we all know he is the kind of player who finds another gear when there is something on the line.
Expect the Indian skipper to start his World Cup with a bang, especially if there is a score to chase.
Imran Tahir – +333 at Bovada
With respectable figures of 2/57 from 10 overs, Tahir was the pick of the Proteas bowlers against Bangladesh. Those extra few yards required to clear the longer boundaries of the Rose Bowl should make the veteran leg-spinner even more dangerous than usual.
Jasprit Bumrah – +333 at Bovada
Indian journalists have been talking up Bumrah as the best bowler in the world for a few years now, and it is hard to dispute that claim when you look at his recent record in all formats. Unerring lines, phantom change-ups, seriously good pace – what more do you want from a quick?
A loss in Hampshire would leave South Africa needing to win just about every remaining group game to have a chance of advancing.
What has cricket fans puzzled is why the Proteas have come into this Cricket World Cup looking like they don’t really want to be there.
There was no hustle or fight or spirit in the defeat to Bangladesh, which is the last thing one would expect from a team skipped by Faf du Plessis.
If that’s how South Africa look against a relative minnow, how will they fare against one of the title favourites?
India have none of their opponents’ scars and will want to make a big impression in their first game of the tourney.
India to win – -227.27 at Bovada