Team India’s wait for the successor to Cheteshwar Pujara for the number three spot in the Test team seems to have finally ended. The left-handed batter Devdutt Padikkal scored a terrific ton on the opening day of the Galle Test match against Sri Lanka on Saturday. The 26-year-old was given the chance to bat at number three after his 142 not out in the warm-up game.
Former India skipper Kris Srikkanth has warned Sai Sudharsanwho is India’s designated number three batter in Test cricket. The 24-year-old was ruled out of the ongoing series after not recovering from his toe injury. This gave Padikkal a chance to not only get into the side but also bat at the coveted spot and score a ton.
Srikkanth, speaking on his YouTube Channel, said, “Sudharsan is in trouble now. He has done well at number three in the chances given, but Devdutt seems to have cemented his place. Sai couldn’t afford to miss any game because of injury. One cannot give excuses of too much cricket being played. Everyone has to keep themselves fit. After this ton, Padikkal cannot be dropped, which makes his (Sudharsan) chances even more difficult.”
The 66-year-old also said, “His (Devdutt Padikkal) comeback has been amazing, and he has elegance in his batting. He was in good form in domestic cricket, the IPL, and his shots were brilliant. This is a good example to show others that domestic performances matter and players will now take tournaments like Ranji or Duleep Trophy with seriousness, knowing that doing well in the IPL alone is not enough if you want to play for India.”
What is Sai Sudharsan’s record at number three?
Gujarat Titans star has played 12 innings at number three and scored 383 runs with three fifties, with a best of 87. The batter has an average of 31, and his best score came against West Indies, which came off 165 balls at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi.
Padikkal, on the other hand, is playing in his third Test at number three and has scored a fifty and a century. It will be interesting to see what happens as the selectors now have two good batters who can do the job with the bat in the longest format of the game.