Rare left-handed mastery: Devdutt Padikkal ends India's 24-year wait for a No. 3

Has Devdutt Padikkal arrived in international cricket? This is the first question the game's discerning are asking. The left-hander with Kerala connections learned the ropes in Karnataka, which can brag of a cricketing legacy, having given Indian cricket plenty of talent in every department of the game – magnificent batters, excellent fast and seam bowlers, spinners, and a wicketkeeper.

And so it's not surprising to see the tall left-hander come good with a solid and scintillating century on the first day of the two-Test series against Sri Lanka at the Galle International Stadium.

A lot has been said and written about his fitting the bill at No. 3, a batting position seen as a fulcrum. The No. 3 is supposed to do multiple roles: defend and take the game forward with sensible batting. On this count, Padikkal appears to have passed the litmus test, hitting a 4 and a 6 in the first lot of balls he faced from the spinners.

Most conspicuous were the off-the-back shots he executed on either side of the pitch, and this aspect of his game has thrilled watchers.

Former India batter on the Extraaa Innings of a Sony Channel expressed joy at seeing Padikkal approach the game after the fall of Yashasvi Jaiswal, who was a trifle unfortunate to leave the scene of action after playing five good shots to the fence and defending with calmness. Jaiswal, also a left-hander, made his blade do the talking before a communication breakdown with K. L. Rahul resulted in his run-out at the non-striker’s end.

But Padikkal offset the loss by playing the big shots and unravelling a knock that demonstrated his character, readiness to challenge the bowlers, and ability to keep the scoreboard ticking. He did not let the constant rain interruptions affect his composure as he put together a fine effort of 167 off 230 balls at a strike rate of around 73, with 15 x 4s and one six. There were 132 dot balls in his innings, the same as Rahul’s. His five-hour-forty-minute tenure in the middle set tongues wagging about him staking a permanent slot at No. 3. He ran up partnerships with Rahul and Gill, with Rishabh Pant holding fort for 80.3 overs.

Padikkal had a stroke of luck, but unfortunately at the expense of the injured Sai Sudharsan, whose right toe was not in good shape to withstand the rigours of multi-day cricket. On the eve of the Test, India skipper Shubman Gill clarified why Sudharsan had to stay at the Cricket of Excellence in Bengaluru to mend his front-foot toe.

Furthermore, Padikkal firmed up his recall with a good century against Sri Lanka ‘A’ in the warm-up game. He made an unbeaten 142 in four hours and eleven minutes and 164 balls, which eventually contributed to his team’s win in the friendly in Colombo.

The Karnataka middle order was capped for the first time against England at Dharamsala on March 24. He made 64 in 136 minutes. Eight months later, he played his second Test against Australia at Perth when Rohit Sharma was not available. He scored 0 and 25 in 87 minutes.

Subsequently, on the tour to England, the selection committee placed its faith in Sudharsan. He played seven Tests, 12 innings, and made 383 runs with three 50-plus knocks: 87 against the West Indies in Delhi and 81 against Afghanistan at Mohali, the two undertakings that actually promised to be taken to century-plus scores.

The toe injury kept him out of the Sri Lanka tour, but the selection committee will pick him for the New Zealand tour, where pace and swing will demand a stern examination from the Indian team. Sudharsan has faced 884 balls to make 383 for a strike rate of 43-plus. Padikkal has a strike rate of 60-plus after four Test innings.

Both Sudharsan and Padikkal are beginners, but certainly future bets. Both will get their opportunities against New Zealand and in the home series against Australia in the first quarter of next year. There is no other batter in view to stake a claim for the No. 3 slot.

Although he was not picked for two years and more after his second Test at Perth, which India, led by Jasprit Bumrah, won, Padikkal has not been off the radar.

He showed his commitment in the domestic tournaments, scoring 812 runs in 11 matches of last season's Ranji Trophy with 2 x 100s and six half-centuries. Karnataka made him captain last year, and he took responsibility and led by example. His centuries came against Punjab and Uttarakhand. He was part of the India ‘A’ tour to Sri Lanka in July, and he made the most of it.

Left-handers are pleasing to watch, and Padikkal made everyone take note of this virtue at Galle. Mumbai’s Ajit Wadekar (1899 runs) and Vinod Kambli (1011) were stylish stroke players, and the third-highest for India at No.3 has been Sourav Ganguly (752). Surinder Amarnath (480 in ten Tests) is the only other notable batter to have scored runs at one drop.

As of now, India's focus is on qualifying for the World Test Championship final; it has to win 6/7 matches from nine to advance. And players like Padikkal and Sudharsan have to play a big part.

Padikkal’s 167 was only the 13th century by a left-hander at No.3 for India in multi-day Test cricket. Ganguly was the previous one to score a century (136 against Zimbabwe at Delhi in February 2002). So Padikkal’s century at No. 3 is a rarity, but the left-hander showed the cricketing world that he has the gifts to grow into a successful Test batter. He has proved that occupying the crease is worth it.