The greatest rivalry in test cricket will commence on August 1st. That’s when Australia battle England in an attempt to reclaim The Ashes in England after an 18-year hiatus. In the meantime, let’s preview the match and examine the 2019 Ashes First Test odds being offered to cricket bettors at the sportsbooks.
2019 Ashes First Test Odds Favour England
England are the favourites for the first test, which takes place from 01 Aug to 05 Aug at Edgbaston. And rightly so! After all, they are playing at home, know the conditions very well and have a very strong team. As a result, England are currently listed at 1.97 favourites. Meanwhile, Australia have odds of 2.50.
The weather is expected to be good throughout most of the test match, too, with only a chance of a shower or two taking place throughout the five days. The chances of a draw are highly unlikely, too. This is especially given the attacking style of both sides and swing friendly conditions in England. In fact, sportsbooks such as Betway and Bet365 are offering odds of 7.00 when it comes to a draw.
While England enter the first test as the favourites, the two sides are pretty much balanced. It will therefore all come down to who handles the pressure of an Ashes test better. We predict that the side that wins the first test will likely go on to win the whole series. That’s because it is always hard to bounce back from a 1-0 lead.
England Have The Edge
England are coming off a successful 2019 World Cup campaign and are brimming with confidence, which they will take into the test arena. They have since played a one-off test match against Ireland, which they won by 143 runs. That’s even though England were bowled out in the first innings for just 85.
Joe Root, who captains England in test cricket, wasn’t happy with the way his team collapsed against Ireland. However, he said it was just the shock the team needed to get themselves ready for the fiercely contested Ashes.
England have a nice balance of experienced and exciting new players, which makes them very threatening. They have decided to give Jason Roy a welcome into test cricket after his fantastic performance at the World Cup. Jofra Archer has also been drafted into the side as his raw pace will make a world of difference to the swing and seam of Stuart Broad and Jimmy Anderson.
Joe Root knows how big this Ashes test series is to his captaincy. He is subsequently expected to go back to the number 3 position as he is the most technically correct batsmen in the side. Ben Stokes has once again been given the vice-captaincy post after his heroics in the World Cup final.
Australia Have A Tough Task Ahead
Australia know that they will have to combat a talented English side. They will have to contend with the boisterous Barmy Army, too, and the booing that they are accustomed to receiving from English fans.
The Aussies have an experienced squad with the return of David Warner and Steve Smith. Tim Paine will continue to captain the side and his biggest concern will be the middle order. If Australia can get runs out of their number 5 and 6, then England are going to find it very difficult to beat them.
When it comes to their bowling department, Australia has a wealth of fast bowling resources. Interestingly, rumours exist that the trusted trio of Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazelwood and Pat Cummins will be broken up for the first test. The Aussies prefer to give the aggressive James Pattinson the nod over Starc for the first test. It’s also quite possible that Peter Siddle might replace Hazelwood.
If Australia want to win the first test, they need to bowl out England for less than 300 in the first innings. Whether they bat first or second, they will also need to secure a first innings lead of at least 100 runs.
