The No. 3 slot in the batting order had been shrouded in uncertainty for quite some time. But the emergence of Devdutt Padikkal, who produced scores of 167 and 44 batting at No. 3 in the Galle Test, is being considered a possible solution to the issue.
But will Padikkal be able to cement his place in that position? For that, he will
need to be consistent, feels Cheteshwar Pujara, one of India’s trusted No. 3 batters in the longest format in the recent past.
“Devdutt was ready for this opportunity, given the way he has been performing in the domestic circuit and even in the IPL. We have seen that he has worked on his game. He has improved his technique, and the kind of performances he has been producing in all formats of the game underlines his rhythm.
“So, yes, I would agree that India should go ahead with Devdutt at No. 3 for some time,” Pujara, who aggregated 7,195 runs in his 103-match Test career, said in a select virtual interaction facilitated by Sony on Saturday.
“But I’ve said this also, that you can’t leave someone like Sai Sudharsan out of the Test squad. I’m not saying that he should be batting at No. 3, but he should be there in
the scheme of things. Will Devdutt be the No.3 for India for a long time? That answer is something which only Devdutt can give, I think, with his performance.”
Pujara believes the Karnataka left-hander’s prospects of cementing his place at No. 3 will brighten if he gets good scores in the second and final Test against Sri Lanka, beginning at the Sinhalese Sports Club in Colombo on Saturday, and follows it up with an impressive showing on the tour of New Zealand and in the home Tests versus Australia.
“It’s not just about what he does in this series. But going forward, India have a big challenge of playing in New Zealand. India are playing a couple of Test matches there and then, Australia are coming to India for a five-Test match series. So, if Devdutt performs consistently at No. 3 in both those series, he will then cement his spot automatically.”
Pujara, though, cautioned against putting “too much pressure” on Padikkal just because of his success in Galle. “We’ll have to wait and watch. Let’s not put too much pressure on him.
“Yes, he has been performing really well and I hope that he continues with his performance going into the second Test match and then into the New Zealand and the Australia series.”
Pujara acknowledged that players like Padikkal and left-arm spinner Manav Suthar taking domestic cricket seriously bodes well for
India’s Test future. He also mentioned that a lot of importance needs to be given to domestic performances when picking the Test squad.
“The foundation of India’s Test cricket is the domestic circuit. Whenever you notice a player who has performed really well in the domestic circuit, he’ll be ready for the highest level when he gets an opportunity to be a part of India’s Test squad. So, you get players who are ready for the international level.
“India’s domestic circuit is not easy. You play across India on different pitches. When you are playing in the north, you have a seaming track. When you’re playing somewhere in the south or west, sometimes you get a turner. So, you need to adapt to different conditions within the country.
“When you play on different pitches and perform well, it also means you have faced a lot of difficulties in your cricketing journey. So, you get mature when you play domestic cricket. And that’s why I feel there should be a lot of importance given to domestic cricket when it comes to (selecting) India’s Test squad.
“Players should be picked from there,” Pujara, who has 21,301 first-class runs to his name, emphasised.