Some innings can make your career, while some can push you away from the reckoning. Devdutt Padikkal knows he hasn’t done himself any favours by missing out today. The first unofficial Test between India A and Sri Lanka A wasn’t just another red-ball fixture but an audition for the Indian Test side.
It was perhaps the closest thing India currently have to a selection trial. With the senior side beginning preparations for the Sri Lanka Test series and several members of the Test squad featuring for India A, it is a fixture you have to turn up for. But for someone like Padikkal, the stakes was even higher.
Just a fortnight ago, India had to choose between him and Sai Sudharsan for the No. 3 spot in the one-off Test against Afghanistan. Despite Padikkal entering the summer in arguably better form, the team management backed Sudharsan. Gautam Gambhir made it clear that the left-hander deserved a longer rope after a difficult start to his Test career. Sudharsan repaid that faith with a composed 81. Although he missed out on a century, it was a knock that has given him some more chances to shine at India’s number three spot, which has been a difficult spot ever since Cheteshwar Pujara’s ouster.
Padikkal needed to reply in Galle but his innings lasted just seven balls.
Padikkal had done everything to earn another look
What makes this dismissal hurt more is everything Padikkal had done over the previous eight months.
Very few Indian batters entered this phase of the calendar with stronger credentials. He was Karnataka’s most dependable batter in the Ranji Trophy, where he made 543 runs at 54.30, including a double century in the semi-final. However, it was at the Vijay Hazare Trophy, where he was otherworldly, scoring 725 runs at 90.63 across just nine innings. For RCB, Padikkal revamped his game so much that he was perhaps the most improved cricketer this year, hammering 464 runs at a strike rate close to 170.
His recent numbers speak for themselves:
- Ranji Trophy 2025-26: 543 runs at 54.30, including a double century in the semi-final.
- Vijay Hazare Trophy 2025-26: 725 runs at an average of 90.63.
- IPL 2026: 464 runs at a strike rate close to 170 as RCB lifted the trophy.
That sort of consistency usually earns opportunities. But Indian cricket doesn’t always reward the player in better form. Sometimes, it rewards the player the management believes in more. That is exactly where Sudharsan currently stands. Gambhir knew he gave Sudharsan chances in tough conditions in England. To try him out again, he chose the Gujarat Titans batter over Padikkal in the one-off Test against Afghanistan.
Sai Sudharsan not going anywhere
Sudharsan was always ahead of Padikkal as far as the pecking order is concerned. Even if Padikkal scored a century, or a daddy hundred, the Tamil Nadu batter would be ahead. However, Padikkal’s short stay has pushed him further back. He was surprisingly aggressive, smashing four on the first ball followed by a towering six in the next over. But just when it looked like he was settling in, he threw the start away and walked back for 12 off seven deliveries.
Sudharsan played as an opener, while Padikkal got to retain the No. 3 spot. Still, the Karnataka batter failed. Conversely, Sudharsan has hit a tremendous century in the same game in Galle. He has nailed down his spot when India travels to Sri Lanka for a two-match WTC cycle series. He will now have all the confidence of knowing the management has invested in him. Padikkal needed this India A game to create doubts.
Nobody will write him off because of one innings. Nor should they. But had he impressed in Lankan conditions, there would’ve been debate. There is still another unofficial Test left on this tour.
