Richard Mann found 11/4 and 2/1 winners in his third Test preview, and returns with two more selections for the fourth Test which begins in Manchester on Wednesday.
Cricket betting tips: England v India
2pts Zak Crawley under 23.5 first innings runs at 5/6 (General)
1pt Ravi Jadeja top India first innings batsman at 8/1 (General)
We all needed to catch our breath after Lord’s, where England’s seamers bowled the hosts to an unlikely but thrilling day-five victory that delivered a hammer-blow to their opponents.
Despite having dominated so much of the series thus far, India now find themselves 2-1 down with two matches to play, and with a growing injury list to contend with.
Nitish Kumar Reddy, so impressive with the ball at Lord's, has been ruled out of the remainder of the series, Akash Deep is a doubt for this week's fourth Test at Old Trafford, with Arshdeep Singh now also injured and unable to replace him in the starting XI. Rishabh Pant will be fit to play, though possibly not as wicket-keeper.
All this means that Jasprit Bumrah will have to back up in Manchester, despite workload management dictating he will only be able to feature in one of the remaining two matches.
Still, that is a good thing for India, given the nature of the Old Trafford pitch is hard and abrasive, meaning reverse swing can often be a factor here in the right conditions. And there is no better exponent of reverse swing than Bumrah.
However, the raging-hot English summer has all but disappeared in the last week, making way for a significant amount of rain, and the current forecast for Wednesday onwards suggests we might be in for some more. That could mean a lush outfield at Old Trafford and a less-abrasive square than is ideal for reverse swing.
I think this is one to revisit in-play, when we have a clearer picture of the weather and the state of the pitch, and general playing conditions in Manchester.
If we do get some reverse swing, it's likely we’ll get some spin, too, and as we saw in the second innings at Lord’s, that does bring India into the game more, with then less reliance on that man Bumrah.
His lines for Old Trafford are incredibly high again, no surprise given he has taken 12 wickets in the two Tests in which he has featured. Bet365 have his Player Performance line at 120.5 for this game.
I'm happy to let that go, for all those quotes are entirely justifiable, and I’ll kick off with a first-innings sell on ZAK CRAWLEY’s runs.
Old Trafford was the scene of Crawley’s finest hour, when blitzing a memorable century in the Ashes series of 2023, but it’s been a struggle for the Kent opener since and, in truth, he’s fortunate not to have been dropped by now.
Despite three of the flattest batting pitches imaginable been served up in the first three Tests, Crawley is only averaging 21.33 in the series, that number boosted by his 65 in the second innings of the opening Test.
He's looked a long way out of his depth in the subsequent two matches, frantically switching from defence to attack, and I suspect Bumrah and co will have his number again this week, especially if there is weather around and the new ball nips about.
I'm happy to play UNDER 23.5 CRAWLEY FIRST-INNINGS RUNS (5/6).
If, as seems likely, India are forced to play Pant as a specialist batsman, he is certainly worth his place in their top five as a batter alone, as 425 runs at 70.83 so far demonstrates.
His first-innings run out on 74 was a bitter pill to swallow last week, having advised him in a couple of milestones markets, and the 7/4 for him to make another first-innings fifty does appear solid.
His potential battle with Liam Dawson is a fascinating one, given Pant’s history against left-arm spin and that the former will be playing his first Test since 2017 following an unfortunate injury to Shoaib Bashir.
However, Dawson is a wily old fox, and a very good bowler well used to bowling against aggressive batsmen through his vast experience of the franchise leagues. And with England captain Ben Stokes often happy to dangle a carrot, Pant’s approach is unlikely to be devoid of risk.
I suspect RAVI JADEJA will take a much more calculated approach, and I do think 8/1 about him in the TOP INDIA BATSMAN market does his talent a disservice.
Jadeja is now averaging 109.00 with the bat in the series, with four fifties, and his overall average against England is nudging 40 thanks to two hundreds and 10 half-centuries.
It's quite the record Jadeja, now entrusted to bat in India's top six, is building and his defiant rearguard in last week’s dramatic fourth innings at Lord's showcased all his skill and a giant heart.
His runs lines are generally worth a look in-play, but for now, 8/1 appeals as too big when you consider his fine record against England, his excellent form, and the fact the middle order dominated the top batsman markets in last summer’s Test match on this ground against Sri Lanka.
Preview published at 1200 BST on 21/07/25
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