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Australia v India, 3rd Test Betting: Aussies in a spin

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The search for an answer to Australia's spin problems continues while the greatest leg-spinner to ever play the game sits patiently by the phone, writes Nick Tedeschi.

Even a man's man like John Wayne was not nearly as straight as the Australian cricket team's slow-bowling attack. Turn has become as foreign to the Australian team as malaria or poverty.

Cameron White, Michael Clarke and Jason Krejza appear more likely to send a porcupine to Pluto than get the ball spinning off the pitch. Bryce McGain has returned home with an horrific armpit injury, the first horrific armpit injury ever reported throughout the history of time. Brad Hogg and his smile have retired. The whereabouts of Stuart MacGill remain unknown though the smart money would be on a Hunter Valley vineyard.

All the while, the greatest leg-spin bowler of them all, Shane Keith Warne sits by his telephone waiting for the call-up. Warnie has said that it will only take a phone call to get him back in the Baggy Green and all of Australia is begging Ricky Ponting or Chairman of Selectors Andrew Hilditch to dial his digits and beg for his services.

Ponting and Hilditch, however, are refusing to make the call. In one sense, it is understandable. Ponting may be a little fearful of being asked what he is wearing and Andrew Hilditch, one would expect, would be in no mood to discuss the naughtiest thing he has ever done. Those who remember Hilditch would probably say attempting to cover drive but that is by the by.

It is a call that needs to be made, however, with Australia no hope of winning the remaining two Tests without Shane Warne. Simply, they do not have the bowling attack to take twenty Indian wickets with the failure to find a spinner who can turn the ball on the most spin-friendly tracks in the world Australia's greatest shortcoming.

In four innings bowled, Australia have taken only 26 wickets. Mitchell Johnson is the only bowler to have taken more than 4 wickets, having taken 8 at 31.25. Australia's "spin" bowlers have taken only 6 wickets in 103 overs at a hands-across-the-eyes average of 53.16.

The situation is not going to improve at Delhi, a renowned spinners track, where Australia has not won since 1959. The last time Australia played there, back in 1996, India recorded a comprehensive seven-wicket victory. India also have a daunting record at the ground, having won their last seven Tests in Delhi dating back to 1993.

With India sure to put a big score on the board and the Indian bowling attack in fine form, bettors should take India in the match odds market. 2.80 can currently be obtained on an Indian win with punters able to bet India down to 2.40. Traders should look to lay the draw with only one Test in Delhi ending in such a result in the last quarter-century, way back in 1986 in a match that saw no play for the first three days. The draw is currently a false favourite.

Even if Harbhajan Singh does not play, India are still legitimate 2.40 shots to win with Anil Kumble nearly always at his best in Delhi (55 wickets at 15.41) and Amit Mishra a more than adequate replacement for Singh after claiming seven wickets in his debut Test at Mohali.

Those traders looking to play the individual player exotics should look to back Sourav Ganguly and lay Rahul Dravid and Gautham Gambhir. Ganguly averages 60.55 at Delhi and should prove good value in the India high bat market. He can also be bet at better than 2.70 to score a 50 in the first innings. Dravid and Gambhir are both good lays in the top run scorer market with Dravid dreadfully out of form with only one ton in his last 34 innings while Gambhir has a very poor record when playing at home, averaging only 28.33 in India with only four scores in excess of 50 in 22 innings. Traders should lay Gambhir in his head-to-head match-up with Sehwag while Dravid should be laid in the "To Score a 50" market.

India look set to claim the Border-Gavaskar trophy in Delhi. Only rain or a miracle can save Australia.