India vs New Zealand ICC Test Championship Final Betting Tips 18/06/2021

14:45, 17 Jun 2021

Senior Author

14:45, 17 Jun 2021

Zohaib Ahmed is a sports journalist whose profession is to report and edit but whose passion is to predict and bet. He’s been in the industry for more than a decade and has worked/written for various bookmakers/tipsters. His expertise is in cricket, football, MMA, boxing and basketball.

India and New Zealand are set to clash in the final of the ICC Test Championship on June 18 (Friday) at
The Rose Bowl in Southampton. The match is scheduled to begin at 3pm IST.

Teams Status

New Zealand

The inaugural World Test Championship saw a number of challenges over the past two years, seeing off weird competition format, Covid-19 challenges and cancelled matches to reach its culmination, which is the final between India and New Zealand, two sides led by two of the best captains of their generation.

New Zealand are led by Kane Williamson, who led the Kiwis to this point following their painful World Cup final loss in 2019. Instead of letting it all crumble, the side from Down Under chose to go up north in the longest format. It wasn’t easy though, as their did not win any of their first two series of the Test Championship, first drawing 1-1 to Sri Lanka and then losing to Australia 3-0.

From that point, they were required to be nearly flawless, and they did exactly that, beating India, Pakistan and West Indies – all by identical margins of 2-0. That sealed their qualification.

They set up a series against England as tune up for the final, and as fate would have it, after the drawn first Test, they won the second Test and the series at the same venue where the final against India is to be played.

Kane Williamson and BJ Watling were reported to be carrying a niggle or two during the England series but the word is that both have recovered to give the Kiwis a clean bill of health.

India

India’s road to the final began with three straight 2-0 Test series wins over the West Indies, South Africa and then Bangladesh. The only blemish on their otherwise pristine CV was their 2-0 defeat to none other than New Zealand in New Zealand.

The highlight of their campaign came when they defeated a full strength Australian team 3-1 away from home despite missing several regulars. Then there was the home series against England, which they came from behind to win 3-1.

India will be at a slight disadvantage as unlike New Zealand, they have not played a Test in England and may not be as comfortable and used to the conditions as their opponents.

The Indian camp also has no known injuries, meaning that both the sides would likely field their first choice line-ups.

What do the Sportsbook Say

India	Draw	Away team name
3.25	2.50	2.75
3.28	2.45	2.62
2.50	3.00	2.50

New Zealand are the favourites for the match. 22Bet has New Zealand priced at 2.62, India at 3.28 and Draw at 2.45. Bet365 has New Zealand priced at 2.75, India at 3.25 and Draw at 2.5. Lastly, 888 has both New Zealand and Draw priced at 2.5, while an India victory can be bet on at odds of 3.0.

Tipster’s Angle

New Zealand to win @ 2.62

New Zealand came to England early and clinched a historic series win over their hosts. They would have won the two-match series 2-0, had they been a little bit lucky in the opening Test. One concern is that the Southampton wicket showed a bit of turn in the second Test, and though Ajaz Patel exploited that brilliantly in the final innings of the match against England, India have better spinners and they could do more damage. That said, due to the familiarity of the conditions and Indians historically being bad on English pitches, New Zealand should take this.

Tip: Virat Kohli to Score 50+ 1st innings @ 2.15

We cannot vouch for the rest of the Indian line-up but their brilliant captain Virat Kohli is known to persevere in tough conditions. He also needs the least amount of adjustment period in unfamiliar conditions. He also raises his game at the highest levels of the game. Thus, in the first innings of the final of the Test Championship, he would want to put his best foot forward. And if we all know something about him is, it’s that a determined Virat Kohli is the most dangerous Virat Kohli.

Conclusion

As explained above. New Zealand have the clear edge, both in terms of conditions and the fact that they hold the psychological advantage of humiliating India 2-0 last year. If spin remains a non-factor, then New Zealand should pull it off.