City bookies bet on a win by Pakistan

MUMBAI: The big daddy of bookies in the country, Sobhan Mehta aka Kalachowkie, went underground on the eve of the first cricket One-dayer between India and Pakistan in Karachi.
However, the betting frenzy continued unabated. Pakistan is the hot favourite to win the first ODI at odds of 100:78 while India is less fancied at 100:125.
A few days ago the Maharashtra home department had instructed the Mumbai police to arrest Sobhan, the brain behind the multi-crore betting cricket racket in the country.
Joint commisioner (crime) Satyapal Singh said on Friday, "My men are still looking for Sobhan who appears to have shifted base to Gujarat. But we have not given up our efforts."
Sources in the bookie community, however, said Sobhan was operating from Thane. They said he had done some "setting" (read bribing) to get a senior politician to provide provide him with protection.
Seven bookies were arrested by the city crime branch on Friday night as a preventive measure before the India-Pakistan cricket match.
The bhav (betting odds) on Friday evening were as follows:
Pakistan 78 paise and India Rs 1.25 paise (a Rs 1,000 bet on Pakistan winning will fetch Rs 7,800 over and above the punt, while the same bet on India winning will rake in Rs 12,500.
If Sachin Tendulkar does not play because of injury, the ''bhav'' will be 60 paise for a Pakistani win and Rs 1.55 for India.
If Sachin gets out for a duck, Rs 1,000 fetches Rs 55,000, Sourav Ganguly or Rahul Dravid going for a duck, Rs 25,000, and Virender Sehwag going for a duck Rs 20,000, V.V.S. Laxman Rs 10,000.
The odds on Sachin getting ten runs are 25 paise, 25 runs 50 paise, 50 runs 50 paise and a century Rs 4.
The odds for Ganguly/Sehwag are 10 runs 30 paise, 25 runs 70 paise, 50 runs Rs 1.50.
For a century by Ganguly the odds are Rs 5, for Sehwag Rs 6, for Dravid Rs 6, for Laxman Rs 10.
If India gets 75 runs in the first 15 overs, it will fetch 95 paise, Pakistan getting 75 runs in the first 15 overs 80 paise.