Devdutt Padikkal reminded everyone of his class with a superb knock of 150 for India A against Australia A in the first of two unofficial Tests in Lucknow. The elegant left-hander combined patience with fluency, giving India A, a strong reply after the visitors posted a massive first-innings total.
Australia A declared at 532/6, with plenty of experienced names in their lineup. When Padikkal came to the crease, India A were 137/2 and under pressure against a disciplined attack led by Xavier Bartlett, who has 12 international appearances, and Todd Murphy, who has already toured India for Test matches. Padikkal absorbed the early pressure, spending time in the middle before putting away loose balls with precision.
His marathon innings of 150 off 281 balls, laced with 14 boundaries and one six, underlined his ability to bat long and anchor an innings. The knock has come at a crucial time for
Padikkal, who is pushing for a place in India’s Test squad. He had a brief chance during the last Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia but could not capitalise, managing only 25 runs in two innings.
Now, with India set to host West Indies for a two-Test series in October, Padikkal’s timing could not be better. In the recent five-match series in England, Karun Nair was tried in the middle order but returned with just one fifty before a finger injury sidelined him. Sarfaraz Khan, another contender, is also recovering from a quadriceps injury. Hence, considering that vacant spot at number five, Padikkal’s latest innings might put him firmly in the selectors’ radar.
The match itself ended in a draw, but there were other notable performances for India A. Wicketkeeper Dhruv Jurel was outstanding with 140 runs, hitting 13 fours and four sixes. However, captain Shreyas Iyer failed to make an impact, dismissed for just 8. India A declared at 531/7, just one run short of Australia A’s total. The visitors reached 56/0 in their second innings before the match ended without a result.
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