Devdutt Padikkal made a strong case for himself to be the permanent No.3 for India in Tests with a century in the first innings of the Galle Test against Sri Lanka. The left-handed batter aggregated more than 200 runs after returning with scores of 167 and 44 in the opening Test of the two-match series. The elegant left-hander from Karnataka had also hit a ton in the warm-up fixture against SLC XI and carried on with his form in the crucial Test.
However, Padikkal might not have started in the playing XI had Sai Sudharsan been fit for the series. The Tamil Nadu batter was ruled out before the first Test, and hence the team management had no option but to stick with Padikkal. Earlier, when both were available for the lone Test against Afghanistan, skipper Shubman Gill and coach Gautam Gambhir chose to go with Padikkal.
After the close of play on Day 4 of the first Test, Padikkal was asked about his opinion on the game of “musical chairs” being played out between him and Sudharsan for a spot in the Test playing XI. It was then that he said that at the end of the day, it is all about making the most of the opportunities.
“That’s how it goes, to be honest. Cricket has its injuries, and things like that happen. Sai has been doing well for us over the last few games, and he’s a very talented player. At the end of the day, whoever gets that opportunity, it’s important that we take that opportunity and try to help the team win,” Padikkal told reporters on Tuesday.
“And as long as we’re doing that, I think everyone’s happy,” he added.
The 25-year-old also revealed that so far, no conversations have taken place about his place in the playing XI beyond the Sri Lanka series.
“Not really. I don’t think those kinds of conversations take place. It’s important that whenever you get that opportunity, you just take it. I don’t really go looking for those conversations. For me, it’s important that whenever I get that chance, I perform. I don’t really put too much emphasis on getting a run of games or things like that because in modern-day cricket, you cannot really expect those kinds of things,” Padikkal said.
“It’s a highly result-driven business. I think whenever you go out there, you’re expected to perform, and if you’re not doing that, you’re always on the line in terms of your performance or your job or whatever it may be. I think for me, whenever I go out there, I try to score runs, and if I’m doing that, I’m sure I’ll play more games,” he added.
Padikkal shows class
Padikkal’s solid show is the main reason behind India gaining firm control in the opening Test. He has also cemented his place at No.3, and it seems that Sudharsan would have to wait for his chance now. In the first innings, Padikkal was also involved in a 162-run stand with fellow Karnataka batter KL Rahul.
Speaking about batting alongside Rahul, Padikkal said, “Batting with KL, I think it’s always been enjoyable. I’ve now played quite a few innings with him, even with Karnataka. We’ve had some long-standing partnerships, and I think we play well together. I think we have a good partnership.”
“He understands the way I bat, the tempo in which I bat, and I do the same as well. So when you have that kind of chemistry, I think it helps stitch that partnership and really push the limits of how far we can go. I think that’s something that he helps me with,” he added.
