India’s victory in the first Test against Sri Lanka in Galle was mostly about the batting performance of first-innings centurion Devdutt Padikkal and left-arm spinner Manav Suthar’s 10-wicket match-haul in what was only his second appearance in the longest format.
Young talents coming in and proving their mettle at the highest level bodes well for the team, acknowledged senior pro KL Rahul, as he was effusive in his praise for his Karnataka teammate Padikkal.
“I think that innings (of 167 by Padikkal) was the defining part of this Test,” Rahul said at the post-match news conference on Wednesday.
“The way he batted, the tempo he batted with, and to go on and get a big hundred in the first innings really set up the game for us.
“The conditions were really hot and it was challenging physically as well. So, for him, to get through that and to get his first hundred was a special moment. But to go on from there and get a big hundred and stitch partnerships with different players and get a big first-innings total really set up this Test.”
Rahul also credited the ‘A’ tours, the shadow tours in particular leading into an away series, which helped the likes of Padikkal and Suthar graduate smoothly to the Test level.
“A lot of credit goes to how our first-class setup is done, and how some of these guys are in the India ‘A’ structure that has been there for at least the last few years.
“The teams are touring to countries that we’re going to play (Tests) against in a couple of months. So, Devdutt was here a month or six weeks before the Test series and played a couple of games. Then we played a practice game here, so he got used to those conditions.
“Once you put players in those positions and give them the exposure, they’re better prepared,” Rahul added.