Match Previews 
/ Andrew Hughes / 05 March 2011 / Leave a Comment 
The other O'Brien brother in action
"The way that Kevin O’Brien demolished the English on this very pitch would not have been pleasant viewing for one or two of the Indian bowlers..."
Having frightened Bangladesh and toppled England, the Irish have flown the flag for the Associate nations. Can they go one better and beat the tournament favourites?
London Start Time: 09:00
Venue and Conditions
Not a venue that many bowlers will regard with affection, Bangalore features a flat surface which offers no assistance whatsoever and a lightning fast outfield. In two games here in this tournament, England nearly overhauled 338 and Ireland reached 327 comfortably, so any score of less than 340 will be vulnerable.
Team News
Virender Sehwag has been treated for a minor rib problem in Delhi but isn't considered a serious doubt. India's bowling has looked weak so far, but will they be bold enough to play a fifth specialist bowler, in the form of Ashish Nehra, putting extra pressure on their batsmen? Ireland will almost certainly be unchanged.
Match Odds
Ireland's stunning success on Wednesday renders this game more meaningful and will have ensured that India do not take their opponents lightly. The way that Kevin O'Brien demolished the English on this very pitch would not have been pleasant viewing for one or two of the Indian bowlers and there is no doubt that all of the pressure going into this game is on the home side.
But can the Irish pull off an even bigger shock? It would be quite a spectacle, but cricket punters shouldn't believe in fairy tales and realistically, there is very little chance of an Irish win in Bangalore. India's batsmen will have far too much power and could well post a score in the high 300s against some ordinary bowling. Ireland will fight hard, but class will out and that's why India are [1.04] favourites.
Top Batsman
Yuvraj Singh looked good against England and now that he's found his range, he could be worth backing at [9.0] to be India's top batsman. Kevin O'Brien will be full of confidence, but for top Irish batsman, his brother Niall at [5.5] is a more attractive proposition.
Featured Market
There have been three centuries in two games at this venue so far so we are on fairly safe ground by recommending backing 'Over 82.5' in the Highest Individual Score market at [1.75] or better.
Best Bet:
Yuvraj Singh to top score for India at [9.0]
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