India’s No. 3 spot has been a talking point for some time, but Devdutt Padikkal has given himself a strong chance after his performance against Sri Lanka.
The Karnataka batter scored 167 in the first innings of the Galle Test and followed it with 44 in the second as India won by 165 runs.
Former India batter Aakash Chopra believes Devdutt Padikkal is not just a short term option for the position.
Aakash Chopra said Padikkal is a he is proper player and pointed to his first class experience and technical game as reasons why he can stay in the Test side for a long time.
But Chopra also believes the biggest test is still to come. He pointed towards India’s two Test series in New Zealand and the following five Test home series against Australia as the real test for Padikkal.
Devdutt Padikkal got his chance at No. 3 after Tamil Nadu star Sai Sudharsan was ruled out of the Sri Lanka series with a toe injury.
That means the competition could become interesting once Sudharsan returns. For now, Padikkal has done exactly what India would have wanted from their No. 3.
But the Sri Lanka series is only the start. New Zealand will provide a very different challenge, while the Australia series will give Padikkal a much bigger opportunity to prove whether he can make the No. 3 spot his own.
Aakash Chopra’s point is clear Devdutt Padikkal has started well, but the real test is still ahead.
