Start time: 1030, 30/06/2019
Venue: Edgbaston
TV: Sky Sports
India have been clinically efficient at the Cricket World Cup but their style of play may leave them vulnerable against England at Edgbaston.
Virat Kohli’s men prefer to take a measured approach when batting in this format, whereas the Three Lions are capable of scoring more quickly when on song.
With the hosts in desperate need of a victory, they appeal at Evens for our first England vs India prediction.
England closer to a victory
England went into this tournament as the top-ranked ODI team in the world and all looked well as they won four of their opening five games in emphatic fashion.
However, the wheels have come off in back-to-back losses against Sri Lanka and Australia, with Eoin Morgan’s side suffering batting collapses when chasing solid totals each time.
The Three Lions could receive a major boost in Birmingham with the return from injury of big-hitting opener Jason Roy, though, and key batsman Jos Buttler is relishing the chance to rally here.
“You talk about pressures, external pressures, well pressure is a privilege sometimes,” he said. “We’re in a very privileged position to be in this situation.
“These are the games you look back on, or at the start of your career, that you hope you’re part of. It’s going to be a great occasion.
“We know the support India will get, wherever they go in the world they get great support. We hope we get great support too and that it’s a great game.”
Buttler should be buoyed by having sparkled in the Indian Premier League over the past few years and 7/1 he top scores for the hosts stands out from the England vs India odds.
India, a rival almost unbeaten
India are unbeaten in this tournament and have made relatively smooth progress towards the semi-finals, except for a surprise scare against Afghanistan.
However, they have relied on a stellar bowling attack so far, scoring over 270 just twice in their five matches, when posting big totals against Australia and Pakistan.
England have the capacity to put the pressure on if their power-hitters get on a roll and Kohli is wary of that threat.
“Although we haven’t lost a game until now, we still can’t be complacent as a side,” he said.
“The reason why we won all the games that we’ve played is because we’ve been very professional and precise in pressure moments.
“The more basic you can keep things in a tournament like the World Cup, the better chances you have of being one up against the opposition under pressure.
“The more you attach emotion or excitement or too much pressure to an occasion, you can’t make good decisions.”
To be fair, captain Kohli has had a fantastic tournament and is on a run of four successive half-centuries, so 2/1 he top scores for his team is added to our England vs India betting tips.
However, England have won their last nine matches at Edgbaston across all formats, including their last three ODIs, and they still get the nod to come out on top again here.
