Devdutt Padikkal makes his Test debut: Decoding his First-Class stats
Karnataka batter Devdutt Padikkal has finally received his maiden Test cap as the fifth and final Test between India and England in Dharamsala marked his debut. The southpaw has replaced Rajat Patidar in the XI as the latter sustained an injury during a net session, stated skipper Rohit Sharma. Here we decode Padikkal's stats and recent form in First-Class cricket.
Padikkal rewarded for his Ranji run
Padikkal received his maiden Test call-up ahead of the third Test of the ongoing series in Rajkot. He replaced the injured KL Rahul in the squad. The left-handed Karnataka batter racked up 556 runs from six innings at an incredible average of 92.66 in the 2024 Ranji Trophy season. His tally includes three tons, including a career-best 193 against Punjab.
Three tons for Padikkal in the 2024 Ranji Trophy campaign
Padikkal started the 2024 Ranji Trophy campaign with a fine 193 against Punjab. Notably, it is his highest score in red-ball cricket. In the match against Gujarat, he returned with scores of 42 and 31. He got starts but couldn't convert them into big scores. He scored a 103 against Goa in the following game followed by a 151 against Tamil Nadu.
An average of 44-plus in FC cricket
Having played 31 First-Class matches before debut, Padikkal has amassed 2,227 runs at an average of 44.54. In addition to hammering six centuries, he also owns 12 fifties. As mentioned, his highest score of 193 came against Punjab this season. He also scored a hundred and a fifty in between for India A. Notably, Padikkal has played a couple of T20Is for India.
India are 3-1 up in the series
The Dharamsala track is expected to favor pacers. As Padikkal has batted in the top three for the majority of his FC career, he has the experience of tackling the swinging ball. Moreover, his addition means India have a left-hander in the middle order. Notably, the hosts are 3-1 up in the series. England have elected to bat after winning the toss in Dharamsala.
