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CricBattle Daily Fantasy Cricket League Tips

India vs Australia on February 23

·         India are more likely to beat Australia in their Test series than Winx is to beat Mister Ed. If the Border-Gavaskar series, starting in Pune on Thursday, were to be played a theoretical 11 times, Australia would be back able to win it just once. At best. And even that is beyond punters' capacity for optimism. The pressure on Australia – as with so many international cricket teams away from the succor of home – is that while Virat Kohli, in pool parlor parlance, only needs to sink the key balls at key times, Steve Smith needs to run the table four times in four weeks. India only need to win a share of the main battles, whereas Australia must win them all.

·         Best economical pick – Mitchell Starc would like to improve his control from his Australian summer – in India, he won't get away with short-pitched chaff – but more than anything, by hook or by crook, the new ball bowlers must get batsmen out.

·         Top captains & vice captains – The battle between rival captains Steve Smith and Virat Kohli could define the destiny of the four-Test Border-Gavaskar Trophy series. Captaincy is clearly agreeing with Steve Smith. Likewise Virat Kohli. Smith couldn't have made a more emphatic statement in his first hit on Australia's tour of India. The skipper retired on 107 during day one of the tourists' three-day clash with India A in Mumbai. Smith's rapid rise since becoming the nation's youngest Test captain since Kim Hughes has been nothing short of remarkable. The 27-year-old's batting average as Test captain is a stunning 73.73, compared to 51.83 without the responsibility. Kohli, who has produced a double-century in each of his past four Test series, has also made impressive improvements as captain. Kohli's average was 41.13 prior to replacing MS Dhoni as India's skipper – it is now 67.22.

·       Smart pick – In his outstanding Test career, David Warner only one of the Australian vice-captain's 18 Test centuries has lasted a day. If he scores a hundred in a session, as he did in Sydney last month, Warner can set the tone of a Test match in Australia, but in India it will barely touch the sides.

·         Cautions Pick – In 2013, Brad Haddin was confident of regaining his Test wicket keeping place because he did not believe Wade's technique would survive four Test matches in India. It barely survived two. Mathew Wade is a better gloveman now, but he must take every chance his bowlers create. Miss a Kohli stumping off Nathan Lyon, and hear the sound of 11 Australian hearts breaking.

·         My XI – Virat Kohli (Captain), Steve Smith (Vice-Captain), David Warner, Mitchell Starc, Jayant Yadav, Wriddhiman Saha, Mitchell Swepson, Ashton Agar, Abhinav Mukund, Matt Renshaw, Stephen O'Keefe