India made a fantastic start to the Test series against Sri Lanka in Galle. The visiting side opted to bat first after Shubman Gill won the toss on Saturday. Yashasvi Jaiswal began well as he raced to 32 runs before he was run-out in unfortunate circumstances ON the final ball of the 11th over.
Devdutt Padikkalwho replaced Sai Sudharsan at the number three spot in the batting order,came out at number three. The 26-year-old had scored an impressive 142 not out in the warm-up match against Sri Lanka Cricket XI. He began with a boundary and hit Prabath Jayasuriya down the ground for a six.
The batter got to his second Test fifty and batted well to rotate strike alongside KL Rahul, who was also looking impressive. Royal Challengers Bengaluru star then got to his maiden Test ton with a single to the long-off region and had a huge smile on his face as he celebrated the moment, taking in the applause of his teammates.
Three reasons why Devdutt Padikkal should be India’s number 3 Test batter
Waited long for his chances
The batter was long earmarked to be India’s next big batting hope ever since his debut in first-class cricket. Devdutt has played 56 matches in the longest format, scoring 3800 runs at an average of 43, with nine centuries and 21 fifties. The batter finally got his maiden cap against England in early 2024 as Rajat Patidar‘s replacement, where he scored 65 in the Dharamsala Test. He then played against Australia in Perth, scoring 25 runs before getting dropped. The southpaw has a penchant for playing big knocks and is made for the longest format of the game.
Ability to play pace and spin with ease
Karnataka batter has shown his class against the pace bowlers and also scored runs during the IPL. He is also a very good player of spin and uses the crease well against the slower bowlers. At a time when the Indian side is struggling against spinners, a player like Padikkal who shows a certain amount of calm and assuredness is a great sign. Number three is a key position in the batting, especially in away Tests, and his ability to play against the new ball will also come in handy.
Better suited for the role than Sai Sudharsan
Before Sudharsan was given the number three role on a full-time basis, Karun Nair and Washington Sundar were also tried. There is something different about Padikkal as he seems more ready for the role than anyone else. His batting in Galle showed the team management and the selectors that he can be entrusted with the task of batting at number 3 for a long time in Test cricket.