India vs Australia Second T20I: Latest Odds & Analysis

India v Australia predictions: 

• India to win - 1.72 @ Bet365
• Steve Smith over 23.5 runs - 1.83 @ Bet365
• Tanveer Sangha 2+ wickets - 2.62 @ Bet365

When: Sunday 26 November, 7:00pm IST 

Where: Greenfield International Stadium, Thiruvananthapuram

Watch: Sports18, JioCinema

Best Odds: India 1.8, Australia 2.1

As just reward for their patience through some terrible weather during the Cricket World Cup warm-ups, the denizens of Thiruvananthapuram will be treated to their fourth Twenty20 international, and they’ll certainly be hoping for some better cricket than the ground has seen in recent months.

Two of the four official warm-up matches to take place in Karyavattom (including India v Netherlands) were abandoned without a ball being bowled, whilst the other two were curtailed by significant rain delays (one of them declared a no-result).

The week of cricket was victim of some even wetter weather than is normally the case in Kerala at this time of year, though it fortunately does seem on preliminary forecasts as though this match will be spared from unpleasant conditions.

We had some nice cricket betting success with the first T20I, landing two winners and seeing the other bet voided after Matthew Wade was not required to bat.

This time, as we take a look at some of the markets offered by our favourite Indian betting apps, we’re approaching things in a more positive manner and tipping two individuals to go well!

The Numbers That Matter

• Seven of the last nine T20Is in India were won batting first
• India has a 7-4 T20I record at home to Australia
• Matt Short averages 9.41 against spin in all T20s since 2022
• Ruturaj Gaikwad in home T20Is: 100 runs at 14.29 (best: 57)
• Arshdeep Singh took 3-32 in his only Thiruvananthapuram T20I

Two-nil? The SKY's the limit!

We promise that’s the last ‘SKY’ pun this particular writer will make… at least until his next phenomenal effort.

After the difficulties of a World Cup in which he couldn’t make an impression as a Dhoni or Hardik-style ‘finisher’, Suryakumar Yadav returned to the format in which he has made his name, and he immediately felt at home in more ways than one.

He peeled off his 19th 50+ score in just his 51st T20I innings, topping a very special list of consistent run scorers in the format.

Of the 123 men to have started at least 50 T20I innings, just five of them score 50+ at least 30% of the time - and Suryakumar is at the top of the chart with 37.3%, ahead of names such as Virat Kohli, Mohammad Rizwan and Babar Azam.

If he and Ishan Kishan can keep such form going and at least one of the openers above them play to their potential, the Indians will once again be a difficult side to beat, particularly as the Australian bowling attack were not particularly impressive in Vizag earlier this week.

The price offered by cricket betting sites this time around is more reflective of what we expected India to be in the first match, and on that basis we’re happy to take it.

Prediction: India to win - 1.72 @ Bet365

Another Trivandrum triumph for Smith

One of the few players who actually got a good look at the Greenfield International Stadium during those ill-fated warm-ups from former Aussie captain Steve Smith.

In an innings that was cut to 23 overs against the Dutch, Smith opened the batting and struck three sixes and four boundaries on the way to a match-best 55. 

He followed that up with his fifth T20I half-century (in 52 innings, one more than SKY!) to raise his average against India to a still unenviable 23.

As we all know from years of observing him, Smith has a habit of accumulating lengthy periods of good form, and whilst it doesn’t often happen in this format, he now has an all-format international average of 101 against the five bowlers India used in the first T20I to compliment an IPL average of 37 against them.

The man appears to have found a new life as a Twenty20 opener since his back-to-back BBL centuries at the top of the order. 

Prediction: Steve Smith over 23.5 runs - 1.83 @ Bet365

Sangha to shine under lights

After he went for 29 runs from his first eight deliveries - most off the bat of Ishan Kishan - it was going to require a lot of intelligence and mental strength from back-up leg-spinner Tanveer Sangha to end a partnership that was worth more than 100 runs.

But not only did he draw Kishan into holing out to wide long-off with a well-placed delivery, he dismissed Tilak Varma in his next over with a similar delivery to close with 2-47 - that’s 2-18 from the final 16 balls of his four-over shift.

It’s almost certain that Adam Zampa is going to get at least another one or two games of rest, giving Sangha the opportunity to add to his current haul of seven wickets from three T20Is.

Sangha has taken 2+ wickets in four of his last seven T20s, including internationals and The Hundred, currently averaging about 1.5 wickets per innings in his fledgling career.

Ish Sodhi and Hayden Walsh Jr are the two visiting spinners to pick up multiple wickets in Thiruvananthapuram’s three T20Is to date and he showed enough guile in the previous match to suggest this is a good price for him to join them.

Prediction: Tanveer Sangha 2+ wickets - 2.62 @ Bet365