Cricket betting tips: England vs India, Australia vs West Indies

Cricket fans the world over found themselves suddenly following the second day of the second Test in Bulawayo between Zimbabwe and South Africa this week. This was because the Proteas skipper Wiaan Mulder was sitting pretty on 367 not out at lunch, and needed only 34 runs to beat Brian Lara’s Test record of 400.

Even at the best of times, Test cricket can be hard to explain to newcomers, and many supporters have been left scratching their heads as to why Mulder declared before the start of the afternoon session.

He claimed it was out of respect for Lara but plenty believe he should have just carried on - an opinion which gained traction when South Africa won by an innings and 236 runs just after 3pm local time on Tuesday.

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With that game finishing on day three, and in doing so ending 22 consecutive days of Test cricket, fans of the longest format now have to find something else to entertain themselves before the red-ball action returns at Lord’s on Thursday.

India levelled the five-match series against England at 1-1 with an emphatic 336 run win at Edgbaston on Sunday and in doing so secured their first ever Test win at the venue at the ninth attempt!

Next up is the ‘Home of Cricket’ - somewhere that India have thrived of late, beating England in 2014 and in the most recent contest in 2021.

The winner at Lord’s will go top of the 2025-27 World Test Championship table, although it could be a short-lived stint in pole position as Australia, who currently sit top of the pile, will have an opportunity to return there when they target a 3-0 series whitewash over West Indies beginning on Saturday in Jamaica.

Test cricket is everywhere at the moment, and let’s not forget that the Men’s Ashes is now on the horizon, with the first ball in Perth just over four months away!

England vs India preview

After England chased down 371 on day five at Headingley, and India opted to rest Jasprit Bumrah for the second Test at Edgbaston, it looked as though this eagerly awaited five-match series could be one-sided and over quite swiftly.

However, no one had told India skipper Shubman Gill, who produced one of the great Test match performances, making 269 in the first innings and 161 in the second to finish with a combined 430 runs. That’s the second highest total ever, behind only Graham Gooch, who produced 456 runs at Lord’s in 1990.

So ahead of the 2025 Test at Lord’s, it is England who suddenly have the odds stacked against them, and are expected to unleash pacer Jofra Archer for his first Test appearance since 2021.

Zak Crawley’s place at the top of the order is once again under scrutiny and young spinner Shoaib Bashir, who conceded 167 runs in the first innings and 119 runs in the second, is struggling with England’s approach of wanting to chase in the final innings of the match.

As for India, they will welcome back Bumrah who is expected to spearhead an exciting three-pronged pace-attack alongside Akash Deep and Mohammed Siraj who took 17 of England’s 20 wickets in Birmingham.

FIRST’s top tip for England vs India

Harry Brook to be England’s 1st Innings Top Batter - 10/3 with Highbet

After withdrawing from the Indian Premier League for the second successive season earlier this year, Brook is already something of a pantomime villain for India fans.

But he keeps racking up the runs, and after making 158 in the first innings at Edgbaston, is averaging 104.44 across his last nine first innings for his country.

Read: How to place your first cricket bet and common mistakes

West Indies vs Australia preview

The Australian home summer of 1992/93 was the last time that the West Indies beat Australia over a Test series, and we have to go back another 18 months to find the last time the ‘Men in Maroon’ secured a Test series win over the Aussies at home.

Victories for the tourists in Barbados by 159 runs and Grenada by 133 runs mean that it is now 14 Test series in a row where Australia have held the Frank Worrell Trophy, and the final assignment on this tour for Pat Cummins’ men is to win the day-night Test in Jamaica for a clean sweep.

Although they have an unassailable lead, this is by no means the strongest of Australian sides to have taken on West Indies over the last 30+ years. The hosts had a first innings lead in Barbados and were only 33 runs behind at the halfway stage last week, but ultimately the West Indian batting has been too weak.

FIRST’s top tip for West Indies vs Australia

Travis Head to be Australia’s 1st Innings Top Batter - 7/2 with Ladbrokes

With only one team total of 300+ across the series so far, this has been a low-scoring affair in the Caribbean.

However, Travis Head has shown ability and consistency, averaging 47.00 from his four innings and the unorthodox left-hander begins this final Test as the leading run scorer in the series.

Extra Tips

Jasprit Bumrah to be India’s 1st Innings Top Bowler (England vs India) - 27/20

The 31 year old is considered to be one of the greatest all-format bowlers of all time and he will be raring to go after being given a week off at Edgbaston.

Best when fresh, the right-arm quick has been particularly strong in the first innings of recent Tests, picking up three five-wicket hauls while averaging 14.69 with a strike-rate of 30.5 across his last six games.

Shamarh Joseph to be Player Of The Match (West Indies vs Australia) - 16/1 with Ladbrokes

The 25-year-old right-arm quick is the leading wicket-taker in the series, and has now taken four-plus wickets in five of his eight Test innings against Australia.

Famed for getting the ball to move in all conditions, it will be fascinating to see if he can find yet another level with the pink ball in Jamaica.

Read: Tips for an effective sports betting strategy

Previous matches

England vs India. Pick: Rishabh Pant to be top batter in the match - 8/1 with Highbet 

West Indies vs Australia. Pick: Shamar Joseph to be top bowler in the match - 11/2 with Highbet 

Northants Steelbacks vs Lancashire Lightning. Pick: Ben Sanderson to be Northants Steelbacks’ top bowler - 3/1 with Highbet

England vs India preview

Headingley served up another brilliant Test to get this series underway and Ben Stokes’ side will be brimming with confidence ahead of Wednesday after they were able to chase down their target of 371 on day five.

The victory was all the sweeter for the captain after he had received widespread criticism after choosing to field first on a red-hot day one and seeing India rack up 359/3!

England will be unchanged for this game in Birmingham despite having pace-bowler Jofra Archer back in their ranks.

The right-arm quick bowler has not played a Test due to injuries since February 2021, but seeing him in the nets will certainly make the rest of the bowling attack realise that they have to perform if they are to stay in the side!

Edgbaston was once England’s ‘fortress’, a venue where they lost just one Test from 2002-2018, but they have stuttered a little of late here with three defeats from their last five Tests.

And although India are still searching for their first Test win in Birmingham, they have won two of their last three internationals at Edgbaston, including a 49 run T20I victory against England in 2022.

All eyes will be on the composition of the India XI with pacer Jasprit Bumrah, who has his workload carefully managed, available for selection and it could be that left-arm wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav comes in on a dry pitch.

FIRST’s top tip for England vs India

Rishabh Pant to be top batter in the match - 8/1 with Highbet 

At Headingley, the left-handed keeper-batter and India’s vice-captain became only the 12th player of all time to hit two centuries in the same men’s Test and end up on the losing side!

His scores of 134 and 118 should come as no surprise. He has now scored either a century or a fifty in each of his last five Test knocks in England - averaging 101 across those innings with the host’s bowlers looking increasingly toothless.

And what's more, in 2022, Pant hit 146 and 57 at Edgbaston so he has excellent Test memories of Birmingham!

West Indies vs Australia preview

After dismissing Australia for 180 and then posting 190 in their own first innings, West Indies looked on course to beat the Aussies for the second Test in a row before they saw the tourists recover from 65/4 to 310 all out in the third innings of the game.

West Indies then slumped to 86/8 in pursuit of 301 and although they did get to 141, the feeling is that they have missed their opportunity in this series as the experienced Steve Smith has arrived and will bolster an inexperienced Australian batting line-up.

But Smith can only occupy one slot in the order and after three of the tourist’s top four made a combined 43 from six innings in Barbados, perhaps the hosts can cause damage with the ball once again.

FIRST’s top tip for West Indies vs Australia

Pick: Shamar Joseph to be top bowler in the match - 11/2 with Highbet 

The 25-year-old took career best figures of 9/133 in Barbados and terrorised Australian batters throughout!

Across his six Test innings against Australia, the right-arm quick has taken 4+ wickets on four occasions and averages 16.27 with a strike-rate of 23.5.

Northants Steelbacks vs Lancashire Lightning

After a two-week break, the T20 Blast is back and Friday’s clash in Northampton is a mouthwatering one as top of the North Group, Northants Steelbacks take on their nearest challengers Lancashire Lightning.

Funnily enough, it is the second placed side who come into the fixture with momentum after winning their last two games whereas the Steelbacks, who had a 100% record after six matches, have lost their last two!

It was the Steelbacks who came out on top by 24 runs when the teams last met at Old Trafford in early June but momentum has clearly switched and there is everything to play for at the County Ground.

So where does the value play lie in this closely-fought encounter?

FIRST’s top tip for Northants Steelbacks vs Lancashire Lightning

Pick: Ben Sanderson to be Northants Steelbacks’ top bowler - 3/1 with Highbet

The 36-year-old right-arm medium fast has been one of the main reasons for Northants’ success in the tournament this season and is yet to go wicketless across his eight T20 Blast fixtures in 2025!

His strike rate in this year’s competition is a remarkable 9.1 which includes 11 wickets from four games in Northampton.

Extra tips

Josh Tongue to be England’s 1st innings top bowler - 3/1 with Highbet

The quick bowler specialises in clearing out the tail and 12 of his last 17 wickets have come in the first innings of games.

Josh Hazlewood to be Australia’s 1st innings top bowler - 11/4 with Highbet

In 17 Test innings against West Indies, Hazlewood has gone wicketless on just two occasions. Across his last three head to head Tests, the pacer has 21 wickets at an average of 10.66!

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Odds correct at the time of writing.

Previous matches

FIRST’s predictions for Sri Lanka vs Bangladesh and West Indies vs Australia

Pick: Zak Crawley to score a fifty in the match - 5/4 with Highbet

Pick: Riley Meredith to be top bowler (Somerset vs Hampshire Hawks) - 9/2 with Highbet

Pick: Will Smeed to be top batter - 5/1 with Highbet

England vs India preview

With victories in each of their last five Tests at Headingley, and after winning their opening Test of the summer against Zimbabwe last month, England will arrive in Leeds full of confidence but not with a particularly experienced bowling attack.

Chris Woakes is expected to return to the side after taking 3/60 and 2/43 against India A last week. 

The 36 year old with 57 Test appearances and 181 wickets in this format will be particularly important in a pace bowling unit alongside Brydon Carse (five Tests), Sam Cook (one Test), Jamie Overton (one Test) and Josh Tongue (three Tests).

England’s batting line-up looks far more familiar although there is a big decision for the selectors to make regarding the number three position. Vice-captain Ollie Pope is coming under significant pressure from all-format wonderkid Jacob Bethell.

Read: Starting small: Why micro-stakes betting is perfect for beginners

Whoever is picked in Leeds is likely to face a stern examination against a bowling attack which includes Jasprit Bumrah with 205 Test wickets at an average of 19.40 and left-arm wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav who took 21 wickets at 20.19 during the last India vs England Test series.

And this latest India side may not have some of the batting names which we have become accustomed to seeing across red-ball battles over the last decade. 

But in KL Rahul, captain Gill, Sai Sudharsan, Rishabh Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, they have a fearless and talented group.

Somerset vs Hampshire Hawks preview

Two of the most consistently strong T20 outfits over recent seasons meet in Taunton on Thursday evening as Somerset, who lead the South Group, take on Hampshire Hawks who currently sit just outside the top four.

Somerset have reached the final in three of the last four Blasts, winning in 2023 and last failed to get to the final four in 2020!

Lewis Gregory’s side were narrowly beaten by Kent on Sunday, a result which saw their winning streak of five games come to an end. But they will fancy their chances of returning to form against Hampshire who they convincingly beat in both T20 Blast head to heads in 2024.

The Hawks got off to a fine start in this campaign when thrashing Essex by 106 runs and went on to make it three wins from three with victories over Surrey and Gloucestershire.

However, the wheels have come off since after an eight wicket defeat against Kent was followed by a tie (DLS) with Middlesex and a 69 run loss at home against Surrey on Tuesday evening.

FIRST’s predictions for South Africa vs Australia and Northants Steelbacks vs Birmingham Bears

Pick: Usman Khawaja to be Australia’s 1st Innings top batter - 7/2 with Highbet

Pick: Josh Hazlewood to be the player of the match (South Africa vs Australia) - 11/1 with Highbet

Pick: Ravi Bopara to be top batter - 11/1 with Highbet

South Africa vs Australia preview

It is fair to say that contests between South Africa and Australia have been eventful over the years. This meeting in the final of the World Test Championship at Lord’s comes seven years after the infamous ‘sandpapergate’ incident during a Test between the sides in Cape Town.

And head to heads in this country have also provided entertainment with the last ball scenes at Edgbaston during the 1999 Cricket World Cup semi-final replayed time and time again, much to the frustration of South Africa fans!

But this is 2025 and the ICC Test Champions Mace is up for grabs with the teams finishing in the top two positions during the group stage.

South Africa took first place but Australia were only deprived of the chance to finish top of the pile due to receiving a points deduction due to an over-rate issue during the 2023 Ashes.

It is the Proteas who come into the final with marginally stronger form, winning their last five Tests compared to Australia who have prevailed in their last four!

However, Australia have won three of their last six Tests in the UK whereas South Africa have been beaten in four of their last five.

Northants Steelbacks vs Birmingham Bears preview

There will be an expectant crowd at the County Ground, Northampton on Wednesday evening as the hosts look to continue their 100% winning start in this year’s T20 Blast and add to their five victories in the North Group.

The Steelbacks may not be the most fashionable of the county sides but they have been mightily effective in this campaign, recording victories over Yorkshire, Leicestershire, Derbyshire, Worcestershire and Lancashire so far.

Birmingham Bears began this season with defeats against Notts Outlaws and Durham but have since bounced back with convincing wins over Yorkshire and Derbyshire. 

They will be looking to make it three in a row but face a Northants side who are 12 points ahead of them in the table and who came out on top by 11 runs when these teams last met 

in Northampton, just under 11 months ago.

FIRST's predictions for England vs West Indies and Surrey vs Hampshire Hawks

Top tip: Jacob Bethell to be England’s top batter - 11/1 (Highbet)
Top tip: Jason Roy to be top batter - 5/1 (Highbet)

Pick: Alzarri Joseph to be West Indies’ top bowler - 15/8 (Highbet) 

Pick: Dewald Brevis to be Hampshire Hawks’ top batter - 3/1 (Highbet)

England vs West Indies preview

Whisper it quietly, but England seem to have turned their wretched form around over the last couple of weeks.

After beginning 2025 with 10 defeats from 11 matches (4x T20Is, 6x ODIs) while touring India and Pakistan, England have found the going a lot more in their favour back at home where they have won all four of their opening fixtures (3x ODIs, 1x Test).

Tougher assignments are on the horizon, with Test series against India and Australia to come, but next on the agenda for Brendan McCullum’s side is a T20I series against West Indies.

Once again, this sees England return to a format in which they have recently struggled, winning just one of their last six, but their convincing ODI series win over West Indies will see them approach this opener in Durham with plenty of confidence.

As for the tourists, they found themselves stuck in traffic en route to The Oval on Tuesday, something which led to the delay of the start of the game. 

Eventually losing by seven wickets, the ‘men in maroon’ would maybe have preferred to stay snarled in the pile-up, but they can now turn their attention to the shorter format as they target a return to form after losing eight of their last nine T20Is.

FIRST’s top tip for England vs West Indies

Pick: Jacob Bethell to be England’s top batter - 11/1 (Highbet)

There have been plenty of words written and sentences spoken about Jacob Bethell so far across this English cricket season.

Funnily enough, the majority of it was when he wasn’t even in England after he opted to stay in India with RCB as opposed to return and fight for his Test place in the match against Zimbabwe.

But as soon as the 21 year old left-hander had the bat in hand back at home, he set about showing his talent with 82 runs from 53 balls in the opening ODI.

Earmarked to be England’s superstar over all three formats for the coming decade, Bethell will be targeting more runs against West Indies. 

A team who he has been dismissed against only once in four T20Is, while hitting two unbeaten half-centuries in Bridgetown and Gros Islet.

Surrey vs Hampshire Hawks preview

Whenever Surrey and Hampshire meet in the T20 Blast, we can always be assured of seeing plenty of big names on show and this clash between the two sides will be no different.

Surrey began this Blast season with a five wicket defeat against Somerset in Taunton, but they bounced back by beating Glamorgan in Cardiff on Tuesday evening by the same margin when they were able to successfully defend a total of 149/8.

England 2019 World Cup winner Jason Roy and fellow international Sam Curran have been their standout performers so far. But there are a good number of other top class players in their line-up in the shape of Ollie Pope, Dom Sibley, Laurie Evans, Dan Worrall and Chris Jordan.

As for the Hawks, they are only one-game into this campaign, but it was a very successful one as they brushed aside Essex by a remarkable 106 run margin!

Last year was the first in four seasons where Hampshire had not reached ‘final’s day’ and last Friday’s performance showed that they are determined to return in 2025.

FIRST’s top tip for Surrey vs Hampshire Hawks

Pick: Jason Roy to be top batter - 5/1 (Highbet)

After recording a pair (two ducks) in Surrey’s County Championship draw against Essex at the end of last month, Jason Roy has shown where his strengths lie with two brilliant white-ball batting performances in the T20 Blast, finishing as the top match batter both times.

He hit 92 runs from 54 balls, including six fours and seven sixes, against Somerset before making 69 runs from 47 balls against Glamorgan.

On their own, those two are impressive knocks, but the innings in Cardiff particularly stood out as Surrey’s team total was only 149/8 and the next highest score in the match was just 31!

Extra tips

Alzarri Joseph to be West Indies’ top bowler - 15/8 (Highbet)

It has been a miserable tour of Ireland and England for the West Indies so far, but pace-bowler Alzarri Joseph has maintained his high-standards throughout.

He took seven wickets across the ODI series, including dismissing Joe Root on Tuesday, and has a strike-rate of 15.5 in T20Is.

Dewald Brevis to be Hampshire Hawks’ top batter - 3/1 (Highbet)

The 22 year old South African is part of a fine Hampshire top three but is in exceptional form after making 68 runs from 32 balls in the win over Essex. This followed scores of 52, 42 and 57 in his last three IPL innings for Chennai Super Kings!

Odds correct at the time of writing.