India vs Sri Lanka 1st Test Match Prediction

Sri Lanka's tour of India continues with a two-match Test series, and it is fair to say that this series is more important than the three-match T20 series that India recently won 3-0. There are plenty of things that have to be considered here and these are that it is part of the World Test Championship, there will be a new Test captain for India, and Sri Lanka are still searching for their first ever Test win in India. Will they get it, or will the India cricket team carry on with their winning ways? Carry on reading to find out our prediction of who will win.

India Team Preview

The Indian cricket team selectors have decided to drop Cheteshwar Pujuara, Wriddhiman Saha, and Ajinkya Rahane from their Test squad. These decisions mean that India will play this series with quite a new middle order, and with Rohit Sharma returning to the team after a long period of time and ex-captain Virat Kohli struggling with his form, India's batting line-up could end up being quite vulnerable.

We believe that Sharma will open the batting alongside Mayank Aggarwal, while Hanuma Vihari will bat at three and Kohli at four. The fifth slot in the batting line-up should be filled by Shreyas Iyer, while we expect Rishab Pant to come in at number six. Whenever India are playing at home, you would back the batsmen to score plenty of runs. Sharma loves to bat against Sri Lanka, while Iyer has been in great form, so if you are wanting to do some online cricket betting on their top batsman, we would opt for one of those two.

When it comes to their bowling attack, we expect to see Ravi Jadeja, Ravi Ashwin, Mohammad Shami, Jasprit Bumrah, and Mohammed Siraj. This is a strong bowling attack, and since Mohali is a venue that tends to offer some bounce and pace as well as spin as the match wears on, there will be something on offer for everyone. If you are going to be heading to cricket betting sites to place a bet on the top bowler for India, we would suggest you look at putting your money on Shami.

Sri Lanka Team Preview

Sri Lanka will be able to welcome back Niroshan Dickwella and Kusal Mendis to their squad since their bans for breaking bubble protocols have been lifted. They are two of Sri Lanka's better players, so we believe that they will be added straight to the playing XI to strengthen the batting.

Dimuth Karunaratne is not a batsman that cricket fans around the world talk about often, but his Test cricket record is pretty good to say the least – he has more than 5000 Test runs to his name and an average that sits just under 40. Also, Lahiru Thirimanne is another Sri Lanka player that you should keep a close eye on during this series. Then there is Pathum Nissanka, who happens to have one of the best 1st class averages out of any player over the last five years from anywhere in the world.

So, as you can see, Sri Lanka definitely have the talent to trouble bowlers, but whether they can overcome India's quality bowling attack in their own backyard is another matter all together.

When it comes to making a cricket prediction on the best batsman for Sri Lanka, we would actually advise you to give it a miss. Not only is hard to choose one of their players above the rest, but you also have to take into account the strength of the Indian bowling attack.

Sri Lanka's bowling attack will be led by Lahiru Kumara, Dushmanth Chameera, and maybe Suranga Lakmal. This is a very good bowling attack that India will definitely not be taking lightly. If there is any assistance in the surface for fast bowlers, these Sri Lankan quicks will take advantage. However, their spin bowling resources are a bit slim, and this could come back to bite Sri Lanka. Their spin bowling options will probably be Lasith Embuldeniya and Praveen Jayawickrama, and we do not mean to be rude, but we do not think that they have the quality to cause the Indian batsman a host of issues.

If you want to take advantage of cricket betting odds and place money on a top bowler for Sri Lanka, we recommend that you put your money on Chameera as we see him causing the Indian batsmen plenty of issues.

Toss Prediction

When you look at the stats for the M.Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru, you will see that the team that bats second has had plenty of success at this venue in the past. Therefore, we think the winning captain at the toss will take history into consideration and will opt to field first.

Pitch and Conditions

There should be no rain throughout the match, which is great as nobody likes unnecessary delays. When it comes to the surface that is on offer, we expect there to be some help for the quick bowlers early on, but that this assistance will disappear as the match wears on, and batting will become a bit easier. However, towards the end of the match, the spin bowlers should come into the equation.

The team that bats first will look to put a score on the board of somewhere between 350 and 400 runs.

Our Match Prediction

We are going to put our money on India to win the Test. However, your betting technique for this game should be smart. It is clear that the cricket bookies have undervalued Sri Lanka a lot, and we think that they will put India under plenty of pressure throughout the match, which is when the odds will change, and you should hedge your bets. India has the quality to win this match, but their batting is fragile and putting all your eggs is one basket is not wise.

Our match prediction today

India to win.