Why Padikkal, not Sudarshan, should be India’s No 3 Test batter

India’s ‘stopgap’ No 3 batter Devdutt Padikkal has been turning heads during the tour of Sri Lanka and not just because of his imperious form that has already seen him amass 211 runs in the ongoing first Test apart from his 142 during the practice match prior to that.

Padikkal’s importance to the Indian side away from his batting exploits was illustrated on Tuesday when he produced one of the more memorable moments in Galle on Day 4. After Yashasvi Jaiswal was dismissed early in India’s second innings, Padikkal joined K.L. Rahul at the crease. In the final delivery of the 11^th over bowled by Prabath Jayasuriya, Rahul survived a huge LBW scare after Padikkal convinced him to take the DRS just as the veteran India batter began walking back to the dressing room.

The review showed the ball was going over the stumps, handing the opener a crucial reprieve and earning Padikkal a big hug and a playful kiss from his relieved batting partner.

Rahul and Padikkal go back a long way, having played together for their state Karnataka and coming through the ranks in U19 cricket. Speaking in a video by BCCI, Rahul said, "Obviously, coming from the same state, Dev is somebody that, you know, I have seen come through the ranks from under-19s and, you know, scored tonnes and tonnes of runs for Karnataka and made his way up to Indian cricket.

"In the last couple of years, he has been waiting for his opportunity and quietly toiling in the nets and trying to get better at some aspects of his batting. We have had a lot of chats over the last couple of years that he’s been with the team about what needs to get better or what to expect in Sri Lanka, what to expect in the Test matches to come.

“And I think he's at a stage where he understands his batting really well and he's scoring lots of runs. So, I think he will make that move into, you know, scoring bigger knocks for India and being more consistent."

Interestingly, the No 3 slot has been up for grabs for a while now and Sudarshan was the batter picked for that important role. While this ‘original’ No 3 batter hasn’t really set the stands on fire with his exploits in Tests, scoring 383 runs in 12 innings with three half-centuries at a rather modest average of 31.92, it was his injury that opened the door for the tall and elegant Padikkal.

And boy, has he made it count!

He has been by far the best batsman for India on the spinning tracks of Sri Lanka and his backfoot play has been a treat to watch. He has handled the seamers as effortlessly and if the Indian selectors are really keen on bringing stability to India’s top order, then Padikkal at No 3 is their answer.

The 26-year-old has years of cricket left in him and in just three Test matches has scored over 300 runs at an average of more than 60 per innings. While it is still early days yet, Padikkal definitely looks the better bet among the two for a permanent India No 3 slot in Tests.