Devdutt Padikkal reflects on breakthrough Sri Lanka Test series
Batter says he was eager to prove his first-class form could translate to Tests
Devdutt Padikkal said he was determined to make the most of his opportunity during India’s recently concluded Test tour of Sri Lanka, with the left-hander particularly keen to show that his strong domestic form could stand up to the demands of international cricket.
Padikkal stepped into the No. 3 spot after Sai Sudharsan was ruled out while dealing with an injury. Having enjoyed an outstanding domestic season with Karnataka and played an important part in Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s back-to-back IPL title wins, the batter carried that confidence into the Test series.
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He finished as the Player of the Series after scoring 328 runs in three innings at an average of 109.33. His campaign included two centuries and a best score of 167, giving him an impressive start to his Test career.
'Preparation for spin paid off'
Speaking in a video shared by the BCCI, Padikkal said he saw the series as an opportunity to prove himself after making a name for himself in first-class cricket.
“It feels great. Coming into the series, once I knew I was going to get that opportunity, I was looking forward to it. This was my chance to really prove something and show everyone that I am capable of getting big runs,” he said.
“I have done that throughout my career in first-class cricket, and now I am really happy it showed in the Test arena as well. Hopefully, I can take the confidence I have got from this forward in my career.”
Padikkal also identified playing spin as one of the biggest challenges in Sri Lanka. He said he had worked on that aspect of his batting before the tour and was pleased to see the preparation pay off.
“When you come to Sri Lanka, you always expect that spin challenge. I was personally looking forward to it and making sure I was prepared really well leading up to the series,” he said.
“I am happy I was able to tackle spin well, to the best of my ability, and I hope I continue to work on it and get better at it.”
Padikkal praises Sri Lanka’s fightback
Padikkal also gave credit to Sri Lanka’s batters for holding firm on the final day of the last Test and denying India a series-clinching victory.
“Definitely, lots of credit goes to Sonal and Keshara. The way they batted was pretty unbelievable,” he said.
“Our bowlers pretty much gave it their all. They tried a lot of things and we gave it our best, but at the end of the day, they played some good cricket and they deserve to get that draw.”
