Ranji Trophy: With chairman of selectors watching on, Devdutt Padikkal continues superb form to put Karnataka in front against TN
As Devdutt Padikkal stroked his way through for an unbeaten 151, you could well hear him knocking on the national selection doors again. Watched by the chairman of selectors Ajit Agarkar from the stands, the left-hander’s third century of this Ranji Trophy season took Karnataka to 288/5 against Tamil Nadu on Day 1 of the sixth round fixture at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.
On a day where the temperatures flirted between early to mid-thirties, in testing conditions against a bowling line-up that has taken 60 wickets in the last three matches, it was Padikkal’s knock that flattened Tamil Nadu. And it was a timely one too, as it also gives the national selectors another option to consider for the Test team — that has plenty of batting concerns to address – going forward. That Padikkal is making all these runs at No 3 and offers something different by virtue of being a left-hander means there is an in-form batter waiting in the wings in case India are to look beyond Shubman Gill.
After starting the Ranji season with 193 against Punjab, he scored 103 against Goa. Before taking the trip to Chennai, Padikkal also scored 105, 65 & 21 in his three innings for India A in the two unofficial Tests against England Lions. The consistency that was missing in his game in the last couple of seasons is very much back.
From the time he walked in the middle of the first session at No 3, Padikkal was all purpose and intent. On a red-soil pitch that has variable bounce, for Karnataka to make their decision to bat first productive, they needed Padikkal to shine. Tamil Nadu, who have two left-arm spinners in their ranks, were bound to cause trouble to Karnataka’s batting unit, which has five right-handers in their top six. Under the circumstances, Padikkal came with a plan – to put early pressure on the TN attack.
Chennai: Karnataka’s batter Devdutt Padikkal (L) celebrates his half century during the 1st day of the Ranji Trophy cricket match between Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, at M.A. Chidambaram Stadium, in Chennai, Friday, Feb. 9, 2024. (PTI Photo/R Senthilkumar)
The lofted shots straight in the line have been Padikkal’s biggest strength. Early in his innings, he hit seamers M Mohammed and Sandeep Warrier for two straight sixes to set the tone. “When you come into a state like Tamil Nadu, they’re always expected to dominate and I just wanted to make sure that I don’t give them that [chance] on the first session of the match. I hope that could give us some momentum for the rest of the game,” Padikkal said.
That Padikkal is riding high on confidence was there to see. Five months ago, he appeared lost among India’s vast talent pool of batsmen. A health issue meant he was in and out of hospital for months in 2022. He lost few kilos and eventually struggled in the middle. In last year’s IPL, he could hardly make a telling contribution before Rajasthan Royals traded him to Lucknow Super Giants. But since then a lot of water seems to have gone under the bridge, with Padikkal discovering form during the Vijay Hazare Trophy, where he scored 465 runs in 5 innings.
And once Padikkal regained full fitness, the runs have began to flow freely. “To be honest, in the last couple of years, I wasn’t doing too well. My performances were naturally dipping because of that. But I was always confident enough that I’d be back scoring runs at some point. Now that I’m back in terms of my fitness and health completely, I’m really happy I’m back scoring runs as well,” he said.
“I don’t mind batting at No.3 and I don’t mind opening either. So that doesn’t really make a huge difference. As you play more and more cricket and as you gain experience, at this level you will naturally be able to play more shots because you will be more confident about your areas,” he added.
Once he got his eye in, Padikkal didn’t allow R Sai Kishore and S Ajith Ram to settle into a rhythm. He went after them, and was even dropped at 77, but not once did Padikkal shed his intent. Primarily an opener, he has demoted himself to No 3, a position that seems a perfect fit for him. There is an effortless ease with which he is now scoring these runs, a clear sign of a batsman in need of big challenges. With each of his centuries this season, Padikkal is showing he can blend aggression and caution at No 3 and score the daddy centuries that tend to carry the team.
Brief scores: Karnataka 288/5 (Devdutt Padikkal 151 batting, R Samarth 57; R Sai Kishore 3/94) vs Tamil Nadu.
