Padikkal credits first-class consistency for Test success in Sri Lanka

Devdutt Padikkal said he was delighted to prove his ability to score big runs in Test cricket after a stellar Sri Lanka series. The India batter scored 328 runs, including two centuries, and credited his first-class experience for his consistency

Colombo: India batter Devdutt Padikkal said he was deeply satisfied in terms of proving his calibre in the Test cricket arena, adding that his strong performances in the 1-0 series win over Sri Lanka reflected the consistency he has built over the years of playing domestic first-class cricket games.

Padikkal was in sublime form by scoring 328 runs in the two-match series at an average of 109.33, including hitting two centuries as a number three batter in place of injured B Sai Sudharsan. “It feels great. Again, coming into this series, once I knew that I was going to get that opportunity, I was really looking forward to it.

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“I felt that this is my chance to really prove something and make sure that I show everyone that I’m capable of getting big runs, and I’ve done that throughout my career in first-class cricket as well, and I’m really happy that it showed in the Test arena as well. So I’m really happy with that, and hopefully I can take the confidence that I’ve got from this forward in my career,” Padikkal said in a video posted on BCCI’s social media accounts on Friday.

Highlighting the physical grind experienced by the squad amidst hot and humid weather in the island nation, Padikkal commended the entire setup for pushing through the exhaustion. “A lot of good effort from everyone, the entire squad. I feel it was some challenging conditions out there; it wasn’t always easy.

“I think they played some really good cricket. It was hot, and it took a lot out of the team, and I think everyone really put their 100 percent effort out there, and it’s a really good sign that we are really pulling towards a common goal, and I’m really happy with that,” he added.

Padikkal also revealed that tackling Sri Lankan spinners on their home turf was a core focus of his pre-series preparations, which paid off very well. “When you come to Sri Lanka, you always expect that challenge of playing spin, and I think personally, that was something that I was really looking forward to doing.

“Also, I made sure that I prepared really well leading up to the series to make sure that I was ready for that challenge. I’m really happy that I was able to tackle spin well to the best of my ability, and hopefully I can continue to work on that and get better at it,” he stated.

Generous in his assessment of the opposition’s fightback on day five to draw the series, Padikkal lauded their batters for their rearguard act that eventually denied India a victory in the final match.

“Definitely, I think lots of credit goes to Sonal and Keshara. I think the way they batted was pretty unbelievable, and I think our bowlers pretty much gave it their all. They tried a lot of things. We gave it our best, but I think at the end of the day, they played some good cricket and they deserve to get that draw.”