Former India wicketkeeper Deep Dasgupta analyzed the battle for India's crucial number three Test spot between Devdutt Padikkal and Sai Sudharsan.
Padikkal stepped into the squad and grabbed his opportunity at one-drop after Sudharsan was ruled out of the ongoing Sri Lanka Test tour with a toe injury.
Capitalizing on the chance, the Karnataka lad delivered a stellar knock of 167 – his maiden international hundred -- in the first Test at Galle, following up on strong form in the domestic and warm-up fixtures.
Despite Padikkal’s big hundred, Dasgupta cautioned against permanently locking the spot immediately, emphasizing that long-term stability requires sustained consistency across varying conditions.
"Sai has done well on and off at that number three spot. That slot is very crucial, and you need a fixed player there. I wouldn't say his (Padikkal) position is fixed after the hundred, but to a large extent it has given you confidence. The wheel has kept on turning. Sai came in his place, but now he is injured, and Padikkal is back. Padikkal read the lengths well, and a massive change in his game has been his footwork, especially in the last 6-7 months. He looks like an improved batter," Dasgupta said while speaking on his YouTube channel.
According to Dasgupta, if Padikkal continues to perform well in the Sri Lanka series, the tall southpaw will earn the right to an extended run in the team. However, he made it clear that it won’t throw Sudharsan out of the picture clearly.
"It is very interesting. The way I see it, Padikkal will bat in this series, no question there. The question comes after this. After this, there is a Test series in November in New Zealand. If his performance is good here, Devdutt also deserves a long rope like Sudharsan then. If he is batting well, it seems like it will be a healthy competition. If he is scoring runs, it does not mean Sudharsan will be out of the scene. For now, Padikkal looked like he was batting with ease, looked solid, and he has given a very good account of himself," Dasgupta explained.
After the two-Test series in Sri Lanka, India will travel to New Zealand for a couple of Tests before hosting Australia in a five-match Border-Gavaskar Trophy to wrap up their 2025-27 WTC cycle.
Coming to the Galle Test, India bowled out Sri Lanka for 284, gaining a first innings lead of 178 runs at stumps on Day 3. The visitors had Sri Lanka reeling at 90/5 at one stage, but the hosts staged a fightback, thanks to a 146-run stand between left-handers Niroshan Dickwella and Sonal Dinusha.
Dickwella was dismissed for 80, but Dinusha went on to slam his maiden Test hundred. Manav Suthar led the wickets column for India with four scalps, while Ravindra Jadeja picked up three. Early in the day, India’s first innings folded for 462.
"I think India winning the toss was a big positive. I felt they would play on a turner, but it looks like a normal subcontinental pitch. It will turn, undoubtedly, but not like it will turn from the first ball. Winning the toss was crucial. India are ahead. They have batted well on this track. They got that camp they were talking about, the time to prepare, coaches also got some time, and we are seeing the results of that," Dasgupta remarked.
