Devdutt Padikkal made his India Test debut against Australia last year, but he came into his own in the recent series against Sri Lanka. He batted at no. 3 after replacing the injured Sai Sudharsan in the India squad and hammered two centuries in two tests, winning the Player of the Series.
With Cheteshwar Pujara retiring from the game, the Indian team had been looking for a new no. 3 and had Sai Sudharsan batting at the position. But he scored only 383 runs in 7 Tests with 3 fifties and didn’t look confident. Hence, today we see reasons why Devdutt Padikkal should be given a longer rope at No. 3.
Here are the 3 reasons why Devdutt Padikkal should get a longer rope at No. 3:
- Brilliant composure at the crease
Devdutt Padikkal was given a chance to bat in the No. 3 spot due to Sai Sudharsan’s injury, and he made the opportunity count with two centuries in the two Tests he played. During his knocks, Padikkal looked well composed against both spin and pacers and never got bogged down under pressure and helped India dominate the proceedings. He showed he had what it takes to bat at no. 3 and could either block or play with aggression if and when needed.
- Good technique against pace and spin
Devdutt Padikkal showed one thing that Sai Sudharsan couldn’t. Sudharsan never looked confident or comfortable at no. 3 against either pace or spin, be it in England or at home. However, Padikkal showed great composure against pace in Australia and in Sri Lanka and handled spinners well on rank turners. This was very important for a batter batting in the No. 3 spot, and Padikkal showed that he could handle the responsibilities of facing spin and pace under pressure.
- Needs to be backed more given his success
Devdutt Padikkal completely repaid the faith the BCCI selectors showed in him at the No. 3 spot. He not only scored runs but also scored them with authority. His scores in Sri Lanka were excellent, with 167, 44, and 117 runs in two tests. Padikkal has grabbed the chances that Sudharsan might have gotten if he had been fit. And now BCCI selectors need to back Devdutt Padikkal for the long term, as his true test will come when India tours New Zealand for two tests and then plays five matches at home against Australia.
