Devdutt Padikkal made 167 and 44 in the first Test in Galle.
Instead of continuously being perceived as battling with Sudharsan for the position, the performances should ideally provide Padikkal with some certainty that he has done enough to earn an extended stay at No. 3.
However, the 25-year-old disclosed that discussions regarding his position in the starting lineup outside of this series have not taken place.
“Not really. I don’t think those kinds of conversations take place. It’s important that whenever you get that opportunity, you just take it. I don’t really go looking for those conversations. For me, it’s important that whenever I get that chance, I perform. I don’t really put too much emphasis on getting a run of games or things like that because in modern-day cricket, you cannot really expect those kinds of things,” Padikkal told reporters on Tuesday.
“It’s a highly result-driven business. I think whenever you go out there, you’re expected to perform, and if you’re not doing that, you’re always on the line in terms of your performance or your job or whatever it may be. I think for me, whenever I go out there, I try to score runs, and if I’m doing that, I’m sure I’ll play more games,” he added.
Padikkal has made sure that he will be owning the No. 3 spot for a while, but he insists there is no point in thinking too far ahead in the future. He claimed that rather than overanalysing his role, his attention is on responding to the circumstances in front of him.
“Honestly, mindsets don’t change that much. Obviously, the situation of the game changes a little bit when you go in at No. 3. You understand what’s really happening on the wicket, especially if there has been an opening partnership; you always know what you’re going into. So, I try to keep things as simple as possible, try not to really overthink it, and try not to make too many plans. At the end of the day, I have to go out there and react to what’s coming at me,” he said.
The left-hander admitted that his batting strategy varies significantly between red-ball and white-ball cricket, but the goal is always the same: to be in the best position to handle whatever comes his way.
“My technique changes quite a bit, but at the same time, it’s about making sure that I’m in a position to tackle whatever is coming towards me. In white-ball cricket, I have a particular setup that helps me play a lot more shots and free my arms up a little bit. But I think in red-ball, it’s important that I tighten that side of my game. So that’s pretty much the only technical change I’ve made, just my hands being a little closer in red-ball. But at the same time, mentally, it’s important that I make that shift,” he added.
Although switching between formats hasn't always been easy, Padikkal thinks he's gotten better at it over the last few years.
“I think over the last couple of years, I’ve become better at it. I think it’s not an easy thing to do when you keep shifting from white-ball to red-ball, but I think I’ve gotten better at it, and hopefully I can keep improving on it,” he said.
Sudharsan was initially named in the India squad for the Sri Lanka Tests but couldn’t obtain the fitness clearance after failing to recover from the toe injury. Padikkal showed sympathy towards Sudharsan but stated that opportunities should be seized in international cricket.
“Cricket has its injuries and things like that happen. Sai (Sudharsan) has been doing well for us over the last few games, and he’s a very talented player as well. You know, at the end of the day, whoever gets that opportunity, it’s important that we take that opportunity and try and help the team win. And as long as we’re doing that, I think everyone’s happy,” he said.
Sri Lanka ended at 4/84 in the chase of 372 runs.
(The Indian Express inputs)