World Cup 2015: Australia are bookies’ favourite in betting markets across Delhi & Mumbai

MUMBAI: With seven back-toback wins in World Cup 2015 so far the momentum may surely be going for India, but Australia are the favourites in Mumbai and Delhi’s Satta Bazaar to win the semi-final match in Sydney on Thursday.

For every rupee bet on India win, punters stand to gain Rs 2.15 whereas betting on Australia could give them only 0.43 paise over a rupee. A team with higher odds stands a greater chance to lose.

What makes the ‘Satta Bazaar’ so confident? A belief that the Men in Blue were battling a tide of history against the hosts. India have beaten Australia just once in 35 years in an ODI at the Sydney Cricket Ground. In 2008, Sachin Tendulkar’s century helped India win the first of the threematch tri-series final.

“The law of averages may just catch-up in this semi-final match and India could lose as statistics suggest,” said a top bookie in Mumbai.

“But that has not dithered excited fans including celebrities to bet on a India win. The turnover could be over Rs 5,000 crore for this match alone.”

A further dig into data shows that the four-time world champions, Australia have won all six semi-finals it has appeared in since the inaugural event in 1975.

Moreover, India confront a side that has won seven of their 10 World Cup encounters against them. Although, the Mahendra Singh Dhoni-led team had secured a five-wicket win in the quarter-final at home in Ahmedabad four years ago.