Cricket Tips

Cricket Test Series: Pakistan v England Game 1 Preview & Betting Tips

Little to lose for England as they test Bazball out in foreign conditions


  • Pakistan v England
  • Test Match series, Game One (of three)
  • Thursday December 1 - Monday December 5, 2022 (5am UK)
  • Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium

Despite winning six out of seven summer Test Matches on home soil, it was the form beforehand which has cost England the chance to qualify for next year’s World Test Championship final.

Points will be at stake, but England can no longer make it into the top two. Pakistan, however, can do.

That means England’s new attacking approach under captain Ben Stokes and coach Brendon McCullum can be tested abroad for the first time without significant pressure.

The likes of Liam Livingstone and Will Jacks are potential debutants against a Pakistan side who are without injured seamer Shaheen Shah Afridi. He suffered a knee injury at the recent T20 World Cup and has also had his appendix out.

Pakistan are 1/1 favourites to win the series, while England are 15/8.

I’m going to side with England and take on that 15/8 with bet365. Pakistan have drawn and lost their last two Test series, including 1-0 at home to Australia at the start of the year.

England are on a bit of a roll at the minute, be it with confidence from the summer Test performances or confidence from winning the T20 World Cup.

I don’t expect them to win 3-0, as there may be the odd speed bump in the road. But I expect them to have too much for the hosts overall and can see it being 2-1 correct score at 11/2 - also with bet365.

Just wrapping up the series betting with bet365, Joe Root is the overwhelming even money favourite to be England’s top run-scorer across the three matches. But I think there’s real value in the 6/1 shot on Ollie Pope.

England’s number three scored 146 in a warm-up game against the Lions last week, and prior to that posted 136 in a Championship win over Yorkshire in September as well as fifties in the home Tests against South Africa.

He is brimming with confidence at present, and I can see him having a good series.


Ali and Stokes can impact first Test in ‘Pindi

There are two bets I like in the first Test.

The first is the 9/2 Betfair are offering on Pakistan left-arm spinner Nauman Ali to be his country’s top wicket-taker in the first innings.

The left-arm spinner, a familiar face to followers of league cricket in the North of England, has taken 30 wickets in 11 Test appearances, including six wickets against Australia in his last appearance at this ground.

cricketBetfair logo
Graham Hardcastle's Tip

Test Series, Game One

Nauman Ali looks a big price on a pitch he loves

fire

At 9/2 a £10 bet would return £55

Pakistan v England

December 01, 2022

5:00 am GMT

He has taken 10 wickets in three first-class matches in November for the Northern team. Betfair have him as the seventh favourite to be his side’s leading bowler, whereas I’d have him in the top two or three.

Sticking with Betfair, I also like the 6/1 they are offering through their #OddsOnThat selections for skipper Ben Stokes to hit a six, take a wicket and take a catch in the first innings.

cricketBetfair logo
Graham Hardcastle's Tip

Test Series, Game One

Graham expects an eventful first innings for Ben Stokes

fire

At 6/1 a £10 bet would return £70

Pakistan v England

December 01, 2022

5:00 am GMT

In the home series against South Africa, he regularly did all of those at various stages without marrying them together. After a quiet T20 World Cup, there were signs late on that he was finding top form, and I’d be happy to side with him here.


* Betting odds correct at the time of publication. All odds are subject to changes.


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Graham Hardcastle

Graham Hardcastle

Graham Hardcastle is our resident cricket and tennis betting expert at Freebets