Devdutt Padikkal has been in marvellous form.
India batter Devdutt Padikkal hit a sensational double century in the Ranji Trophy semifinal between Karnataka and Uttarakhand in Lucknow. The pitch hardly has anything for bowlers, and Padikkal, who has been in terrific form, was never going to miss out on scoring here.
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The southpaw completed the double ton in 288 deliveries, with the help of 25 boundaries and two maximums, showing he was proactive and pounced on every run-scoring opportunity. He arrived early on the crease after Karnataka lost Mayank Agarwal in the ninth over and formed a big partnership with KL Rahul for the second wicket.
While Rahul departed after a well-made 141 against the run of play, Padikkal continued batting and went on to register a big score to put his team in a commanding position. His knock has ensured Karnataka can’t lose the game, for they are already on a massive first-innings score.
Devdutt Padikkal eventually got out on 232 in 330 balls, comprising 29 boundaries and three maximums. It was indeed a captain’s knock in the all-important knockout clash, as he stamped his authority and possibly a Test spot in the Indian team.
Devdutt Padikkal has been unstoppable in red-ball cricket and scored runs on every opportunity. He has 532 runs at an average of 66.50 in nine innings, including two centuries and a fifty, in the ongoing Ranji Trophy season.
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These knocks have surely bolstered his case to take the No.3 spot ahead of Sai Sudharsan, who has been inconsistent in whatever chances he has had. Sudharsan has 302 runs at an average of 27.45 in 11 outings, including two fifties, at No.3.
India also tried Washington Sundar at this spot in the first Test against South Africa, and he looked reasonably solid with the willow, but they should ideally opt for a specialist batter for this role. Sudharsan has had his chances, but his returns were underwhelming, even though he played in tricky conditions most of the time.
Devdutt Padikkal’s recent form and superior ability to tackle spin will force selectors to prefer him for the upcoming Test assignments, where spinners will play a massive role. India will play in Sri Lanka before a home Border-Gavaskar Trophy, and given the recent nature of tracks, they will need a better spin player than Sudharsan at one down.
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