Devdutt Padikkal had replaced Sai Sudharsan in the Indian squad for the two-Test series in Sri Lanka. This was after Sai Sudharsan, who was included in the squad subject to fitness, failed to recover from a toe injury in time.
Padikkal was given Sudharsan’s No. 3 spot in the Indian XI, and he responded with 167 and 44 in India’s Galle Test win, while making 117 in the first innings of the ongoing second Test in Colombo. Today, we see three reasons why Padikkal should be India’s permanent No. 3 in Test cricket.
Here are the 3 reasons why Devdutt Padikkal should be back at No. 3 in Tests:
3. Perfect technique against spin and pace
Devdutt Padikkal has batted in the top order for most of his domestic cricket career for Karnataka and South Zone. Hence, he took to the no. 3 spot like a duck to water. He had made his India debut at no. 3 in Australia and showed why he belongs in that spot. His shot selection and footwork to impart both spin and pace are brilliant. He has ample time to play his shots and never looks hurried against pacers or short deliveries.
2. Doesn’t get bogged down under pressure
Batting at no. 3 is not an easy task. If an early wicket falls, then it becomes an opener’s slot, and Padikkal has shown that he is brilliant in that position. It is enjoyable to observe the grace with which he executes his strokes. Young people might learn from the serenity with which he constructs his innings. The cover drives made by Padikkal are very appealing. *
The ball rushes to the boundary thanks to the force he produces with his back foot. Although the cut, square drive, and flick are all left-handed strokes, Padikkal’s execution of them seems to bear his unique mark.
1. Made the opportunity count at no. 3.
The Galle Test was only the third Test of Devdutt Padikkal’s India career, and he had scored only one fifty before that. On the other hand, Sai Sudharsan had played 7 Tests and 12 innings at No. 3, scoring only 383 runs with 3 fifties and a best score of 87 at an average of 31.91. Sudharsan never looked settled at No. 3 despite the long run he got.
Padikkal, on the other hand, has owned the no. 3 spot, scoring two consecutive centuries for India in tests, that too away from home. Padikkal must now be the permanent at the no. 3 spot for India in Tests, and though there will be a test for him in New Zealand, expect Devdutt to continue instead of Sai Sudharsan getting his spot back in the India XI.
