Aussies there for the taking

ENGLAND’S disastrous one-day series against India was continuing in Cuttack today, but there is some good news on the international cricket front.

Not only are we struggling but so, too, are Australia!

Defeat for KP’s men on Sunday condemned England to a 4-0 deficit with only three matches of the one-day international series remaining.

India are only 15-8 to complete a 7-0 whitewash and started today’s game at 1-2, with England on 2-1.

It’s clear the tourists have a long way to go in the one-day game but, to be fair, I think any other cricketing nation would have struggled against a vibrant Indian team with home advantage.

We traditionally fare better in the Test arena and are slightly overpriced to win the two-Test series next month.

Winning the toss is absolutely vital on the subcontinent and, if Pietersen can guess right and elect to bat first in the first Test in Ahmedabad on December 11, then our boys will be hugely overpriced at 9-2 to win the game and 5-1 to clinch the series.

And so to the aforementioned Aussies, who lost their four-match Test series in India 2-0, but bounced back to winning ways at the weekend by beating New Zealand in Brisbane.

A 149-run victory sounds comfortable enough, but for long periods of this game the Aussies were in a perilous position as their batting crumbled against a mediocre attack.

It is not surprising, then, given their recent form, that the Baggy Greens are unusually big at 8-11 with Sportingbet to beat South Africa at home in the three-match Test series which starts in Perth on December 17.

The Proteas, who defeated England on our patch this summer, are a fine unit whose only weakness is the lack of a top-class spinner.

They will be fired up to push a deteriorating Australia side all the way and 3-1 about them coming out on top is a fair price.

The draw is 5-2, but I suggest you hang fire on placing a bet until the other major bookmakers price up the series.

Looking further ahead, England’s odds to beat Australia in next summer’s Ashes series continue to shrink, as predicted here a few weeks ago.

England are a best-priced 7-4 to regain the famous urn, with Australia 10-11 to win the series – an appalling price – and the draw for the five-Test series at 11-2.

I have already recommended England in this column and, despite their recent one-day woes, see no reason to change my opinion.

RECOMMENDATION: South Africa to beat Australia in three-Test series, best-price available.