Former India opener Aakash Chopra has lavished rich praise on India batter Devdutt Padikkal for grabbing the opportunity he got with both hands in the ongoing first Test match against Sri Lanka in Galle.
Padikkal replaced injured Sai Sudharsan in the Indian squad for the two-Test series and was included in the playing XI to bat at no.3, taking Sudharsan’s spot. He made the most of the opportunity, hammering his first Test hundred, scoring 167 runs in the first innings.
He then added 44 more runs to his kitty in the second innings, helping India post 193 runs and set a target of 372 runs for Sri Lanka to chase.
Seeing this performance by the Karnataka batter, former India batter Aakash Chopra opined that Padikkal has made himself virtually undroppable. He highlighted that the left-handed batter has aggregated 211 runs in the Test match.
"Devdutt Padikkal's 211 runs in a Test match. How can you not talk about it? He has scored runs in the first innings and the second innings. In the second innings, Yashasvi Jaiswal got out, KL Rahul got out after some time, and then Shubman Gill got out, but this boy played very well.
He is becoming undroppable now. This is what happens. If there is an injury and someone gets an opportunity, and if he grabs it, he holds sway. Whoever was there was there. It is going to be a difficult one, but well done, Devdutt Padikkal. Another important innings in the context of the game," Chopra said on his YouTube channel.
This was Padikkal’s third Test for India, and he now has 301 runs in five innings for India at an average of 60.20.
Padikkal also received praise for how he dealt with Sri Lanka spinners during his knock in the Galle Test. Chopra highlighted his excellent technique while tackling spin on a pitch that helped tweakers.
"He remained in control from start to finish. The pitch deteriorated a little, but he had the confidence. He has great confidence in his defense. His shots have been praised a lot, but his defensive game is making him capable of scoring runs.
He is consistently keeping his bat ahead of the pad. He plays with soft hands. He keeps his hands slightly high, so that the ball doesn't hit the bat's sticker or the gloves. These are a few ingredients of a player who can play spin well. Since he is tall, he can use his feet. He goes forward with a long stride and then quickly goes back to use the depth of the crease. So Padikkal has done beautifully well," Chopra said.
Sri Lanka lost four early wickets in their quest for 372 runs but ended day four on 84/4 with captain Dhananjaya de Silva and Sonal Dinusha at the crease.
