After a long wait on the bench, Devdutt Padikkal got his chance in the absence of an unfit Sai Sudharsan. Padikkal made it count with a 167-run knock in the first of the two-Test series against Sri Lanka at Galle International Stadium. Padikkal batted with his Karnataka senior teammate KL Rahul for a long time in the middle. Rahul, who has seen Padikkal rising through the ranks since his Under-19 days, lauded the left-hander’s commitment in the nets while he did not get the nod to be part of the playing eleven.
“In the last couple of years he's been waiting for his opportunity and quietly toiling in the nets and trying to get better at some aspects of his batting,” Rahul said in a video posted by the BCCI on August 17.
Before the 167-run knock, Padikkal was part of the India A group that toured Sri Lanka. He scored 173 runs from three innings, including two half-centuries against Sri Lanka A. Then, he scored an unbeaten 142 against Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) XI in Colombo in a three-day practice game.
“He's someone who's come here before, scored some runs in India A as well. So just getting used to the condition, he scored 100 in the warm-up game as well. He's been amongst runs, he's someone who loves batting and scoring big runs,” Rahul added.
Rahul believes that Padikkal's hundred will help him enjoy his cricket and take his batting to the next level. He expects him to keep scoring big knocks consistently.
Padikkal's 167 is the fourth-highest score by an Indian batter in Tests on Sri Lankan soil. Sachin Tendulkar (203 in Colombo), Virender Sehwag (201 in Galle) and Shikhar Dhawan (190 in Galle) are ahead of him.
Padikkal's maiden Test century helped India post 462 on the board. Rahul scored 82 whereas Dhruv Jurel scored a breezy 51 to get India to a dominant position.
A good headache for team management
This is Padikkal’s third Test appearance and first since the Perth Test in 2024. Meanwhile, Sudharsan is yet to score a Test century in seven games. He has three Test fifties with a highest of 87 which came against West Indies. It will be interesting to see whether Sudharsan gets his spot back on New Zealand tour later this year or Padikkal holds on to the no.3 position and makes it his own.