The Indian team on Sri Lanka tour is making waves. After winning by 165 runs in Galle, the team captained by Shubman Gill has come very close to victory in Colombo also. Top order batsman Devdutt Padikkal has played an important role in this success of Team India. Padikkal has scored centuries in both the test matches.
He scored 167 runs in the first innings in Galle. After this, in the second innings, even on a pitch that had become difficult for batting, he scored 44 runs. This left-handed batsman maintained his form in Colombo also and scored 117 runs in the first innings. The way Padikkal has batted in Sri Lanka, his place in the Test team is considered confirmed. Also, he is going to get continuous opportunities at number-3.
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Sudarshan's return difficult
Padikkal made his Test debut in Dharamsala in early 2024 and played an inning of 65 runs. He was dropped at number-4. Padikkal got his next chance in Test cricket on the Australia tour in November 2024. Due to injured Shubman Gill being out of the opening test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy played in Perth, he was sent at number-3. Padikkal could not open the account in the first innings, whereas in the second innings he showed fighting spirit and scored 25 runs in 71 balls. However, with the return of Shubman Gill, he had to be out.
After this Padikkal waited for a long time for his turn. His luck ran out due to Sai Sudarshan's injury before the Sri Lanka tour. Padikkal has made this position his own by scoring two centuries while batting at number-3 in place of Sudarshan. Even if Sudarshan makes a comeback in Tests, there is a possibility of Padikkal being played at number three.
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Padikkal's figures are better than Sudarshan
Left-handed batsman Sudarshan has played 7 test matches so far. In all the matches, he has batted at number-3 and has scored 383 runs in 12 innings at an average of 31.91. He has scored 3 half-centuries but no century has come from his bat. On the other hand, Padikkal has played 5 innings so far at number three, in which he has scored 353 runs at an average of 59.62. He has two centuries to his name.
Even in first class cricket, Padikkal's figures are better than Sudarshan. Padikkal has scored 4011 runs in 57 first class matches at an average of 44.56. Whereas Sudarshan has been able to score only 3004 runs in 42 first class matches at an average of 42.91. Padikkal has 11 first class centuries in his name, while Sudarshan has scored 10 centuries in red ball cricket.
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This is the biggest strength of Padikkal
The way Padikkal has played the spinners with the back foot in the current series against Sri Lanka, it keeps him ahead of Sudarshan in the race for number-3. Padikkal has shown amazing ability to convert even good balls into boundaries. He has the ability to generate power from the backfoot. He bowls late cuts off the back foot, cuts and pulls in front of square on good length balls. Not only this, he has also been seen scoring boundaries on punch. Playing on the back foot, Padikkal has a strike rate of 61, whereas Sudarshan is able to score runs at a strike rate of only 36.