Padikkal slammed 167 runs in the first innings of ongoing first Test between India and Sri Lanka.
Former India opener Aakash Chopra has stated that young batter Sai Sudharsan will be under pressure as he has failed to cement his spot in the Indian Test XI despite opportunities. This came after Devdutt Padikkal scored a brilliant 167, batting at no.3 in the ongoing first Test against Sri Lanka in Galle.
Thanks to his brilliant knock and contributions from KL Rahul and Dhruv Jurel, India posted 462 runs in their first innings.
Padikkal was included in the India XI in place of Sudharsan, who missed the Sri Lanka tour after suffering a toe injury and is currently at the BCCI CoE in Bengaluru, undergoing rehabilitation.
Aakash Chopra pointed out that Padikkal's knock has not put pressure on Sudharsan. He also added that this 167-run innings has made Padikkal virtually undroppable from the Indian Test side for the near future.
"The pressure will now come on Sai. He was getting opportunities, but Sai hasn't been able to clinch his spot, and I think he is going to feel the pressure. The first match has already gone well, and if the second also goes well for Devdutt Padikkal, then this selection committee will have to make a very interesting call.
When you go to New Zealand for the Test series, there are only two Tests there as well; will you go towards Sai or invest in Devdutt because Devdutt is almost making himself undroppable at this point in time? That's what I feel," Chopra stated on his YouTube channel.
Sudharsan has played 7 Tests and scored 383 runs with three fifties at an average of 31.91. ON the other hand, Padikkal had scored 90 runs in 2 Tests before this game.
"The fact is that this is just his third Test match. He has had a two-and-a-half-year international career. He made his debut against England in Dharamshala. After that, he played a match in Perth. He got two innings there for sure, but he hasn't played cricket for India for one and a half years after that," he said.
The Karnataka batter's big-scoring streak in domestic cricket has equipped him for the international scene, Chopra continued.
"He was just waiting. He was scoring runs in first-class cricket, but wasn't getting an opportunity. Now that he has gotten a chance, he has scored a century, and he dominates. He bats beautifully against spin and fast bowling off the back foot and the front foot. The hard yards he has put in domestic cricket show that he has matured, and he is ready," Chopra observed.
In response, Sri Lanka has scored 130/5 at the time of writing this piece in their first innings.