Cricket betting tips: Australia vs England & Pakistan vs India

The 2025 ICC Champions Trophy has got off to a thrilling start with New Zealand posting 320/5 before beating hosts Pakistan, ahead of India chasing down Bangladesh’s total to win comfortably.

Across the opening two games we have had four centurions and both sides who have been beaten have been bowled out!

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Afghanistan and South Africa meet on Friday, but then we have the two biggest cricketing rivalries to look forward to this weekend. 

Firstly, Australia take on England in Lahore, nine months ahead of the Ashes getting underway, before Pakistan and India lock horns in Dubai!

ICC Champions Trophy: Australia vs England preview

Since the start of 2022, Australia and England have met in 22 matches across all formats, so the players will be familiar with each other, but the niggle between the sides has increased if anything. 

This clash should deliver more of the same with the pressure on from ball one, particularly as the format of the ICC Champions Trophy (ICT) means that no side can really afford to lose two group stage games.

A subplot to this fixture is that both teams are in miserable ODI form, with Steve Smith’s and Jos Buttler’s sides losing their last four games in this format.

Australia have lost three of those matches by margins of nine wickets, eight wickets and 174 runs in their most recent fixture, and are without their experienced pace trio of captain Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood. 

That leaves Sean Abbott as the leader of the attack and his last three ODI games against England have seen him end wicketless!

All is not well in the England camp either, as they come into this opening game after losing seven of their eight white-ball matches (5x T20Is, 3x ODIs) in India this year and they have been beaten in 10 of their last 13 ODIs in Asia.

Up against Australia in this format, England’s recent run is equally poor, losing to their great rivals in eight of ten head to heads. That includes a 221-run defeat in November 2022, their heaviest ODI loss to any side.

FIRST’s top tip for Australia vs England

Ben Duckett to be England’s top batter - 4/1 with Highbet

With England’s poor form, an injury to in-form opener Ben Duckett was the last thing they needed ahead of the tournament but his recovery from a left groin problem has been impressive and he is ready to resume battle with Australia!

When the two teams last clashed in an ODI, Duckett hit 107 runs from 91 balls, his highest score in the format, while boosting his average against Australia to 61.00 from five innings.

ICC Champions Trophy: Pakistan vs India preview

Any game between Pakistan and India will have cricket fans from across the globe tuning into the action. And this match will be no different as they go head-to-head for the first time since their T20 World Cup fixture in New York last June.

India narrowly won that fixture to continue their impressive record over their rivals which has seen them come out on top in 13 of their last 16 meetings. 

Most of those victories have been comfortable ones, including their last two ODIs which have seen India complete wins by 228 runs and then by seven wickets with 177 balls remaining.

So where can Pakistan fans find some reasons for optimism? Well, they are of course the current holders of the ICT after thrashing India in the 2017 final by 180 runs. 

That success was mainly down to the batting of Fakhar Zaman who made 114 runs at the top of the order. But he sustained an injury in Wednesday’s defeat to New Zealand and has had to pull out of the remainder of the tournament.

The ‘men in green’ have now lost three of their last four ODIs, and will be without home advantage in this Dubai clash. 

Whereas India looked in control throughout their opening game against Bangladesh which made it four successive 50-over victories and they have won 32 of their last 42 ODIs.

FIRST’s top tip for Pakistan vs India

Shubman Gill to be Player of The Match - 15/2 with Highbet

The 25-year-old right-handed opener is back to his best and marked his ICT debut with an unbeaten century in Dubai on Thursday. 

Stylish, unflappable and painfully consistent for opposition bowlers, Gill also picked up the Player of the Match award - the third time in his last four ODIs that he has done so!

With only one half-century from his three previous ODIs against Pakistan, he will be desperate to improve his returns in this fixture and his current form singles him out as India’s star batter. 

Since the start of this month, Gill has struck 360 runs at an average of 120.00 which has boosted his already impressive ODI record where he averages 62.51 from 51 innings.

Extra tips

Travis Head to be Australia’s top batter - 11/4 with Highbet

Australia’s unorthodox but very effective left-handed top-order batter has been unstoppable across all formats over the last two years. 

He won the prestigious Allan Border Medal last month, recognising his consistent performances for Australia in 2024. Which included hitting his highest ODI score of 154 not out from 129 balls in his last series against England!

Mohammed Shami to be India’s top bowler - 3/1 with Highbet

After finishing the 2023 Cricket World Cup as the top wicket-taker, he has endured a frustrating year with injuries keeping him out of the bulk of India’s fixtures. 

However, with Jasprit Bumrah unavailable for this tournament, Shami announced himself as India’s bowling leader with figures of 5/53 including two wickets in the powerplay.

Odds correct at the time of writing.