Devdutt Padikkal cracked a timely century in Colombo. Image Credits: AFP
The opportunities are so scarce in the Indian team that a spot hardly opens even in a side in transition. That’s true even for a player like Devdutt Padikkal, whose runs haven’t dried up at any stage in the last couple of years. And yet, he only has two Tests to show for it.
In that sense, the practice game in Colombo couldn’t have come at a better time for Padikkal. Neither could the unbeaten century that followed. He needed both, and he needed them precisely when he did.
Devdutt Padikkal’s early intent vs pace
Devdutt Padikkal's length split vs pace
Batting at No.3, Devdutt Padikkal had to rush to the crease on the third ball of the day after Vishwa Fernando removed Yashasvi Jaiswal on the second delivery. He arrived with intent, putting away every loose delivery, particularly against pace. In doing so, he forced the seamers to err more often, either going too full or too short.
KL Rahul, meanwhile, was overcautious, leaving several shorter deliveries alone, even though Padikkal pounced on almost every opportunity. He struck a boundary in the first and third overs off slightly fuller lengths from Fernando. When the pacer returned in the fifth over, he naturally went shorter, only for Padikkal to get on top of the bounce and punch him through the point region.
He was ready for it because he had already taken down fuller lengths against Fernando. Those two boundaries had forced the pacer to leave his ideal length immediately.
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The early assault also meant the movement that could have troubled the batters disappeared relatively quickly. Later, he employed the same method against Isitha Wijesundera, hitting two boundaries in the 12th over to unsettle him almost immediately after he came into the attack.
Against full lengths, Padikkal struck at 113.33 and hit two boundaries against pace. Against back-of-a-length and short deliveries, his strike rate climbed to 123.52, with a boundary every 5.83 deliveries. He was more watchful on length balls, striking at just 68.42 and playing out 68.42% dot balls.
His approach allowed Rahul to play the pacers safely without having to take on excessive new-ball movement himself. Padikkal’s early aggression effectively absorbed that risk. Later, the southpaw did much the same while batting alongside Ravindra Jadeja, who was promoted to No.4, albeit in slightly less swinging conditions.
The spin mastery in Colombo
Devdutt Padikkal foot movement vs spin
While Devdutt Padikkal was high on intent against pace, his methods against spin oozed even more panache and expertise. Overall, he struck at 75 against spin. However, what stood out was his judgement of lengths and how rarely his footwork betrayed him.
He didn’t make the mistake of moving back to good-length deliveries. Instead, he negated them by either staying on the front foot or moving forward. Padikkal faced around 83.87% of good-length deliveries from the front, smothering the spin with forward defensive shots. Even when driving, he either came down the track or stayed on the front foot, taking the delivery before it could turn off the pitch.
By doing so, Padikkal avoided getting stuck in his crease, which could leave him vulnerable to LBW or bowled when spinners fired the ball quicker through the air. On this length, he was better equipped to cover the stumps and play out occasional deliveries that could have stayed low.
Ramesh Mendis began his spell with good lengths on the fuller side, and Padikkal kept each one out with soft hands. He still resisted the temptation to sweep frequently, apart from a couple of reverse sweeps, and almost waited for the spinners to offer him something loose. They did so at regular intervals, with each spinner offering a few freebies.
Then, the southpaw shifted his weight onto the back foot whenever the spinners dropped short. He also made full use of those poor lengths, striking at 133.33 and hitting a boundary every 5.50 deliveries.
He was so adept at transferring his weight that he seemed to be reading the length before the bowler had even completed the delivery. Mendis didn’t even land one completely short, yet Padikkal rocked back and pulled it towards midwicket with immaculate timing. Four overs later, he waited and waited before playing a late cut almost from behind the stumps, guiding Keshara Nuwantha through the vacant space behind point.
Nuwantha continued dropping short later in his spell, and Padikkal kept pulling in front of square. The margin for error was tiny, and the inexperience against a quality batter showed. Both Nuwantha and Dilum Sadeera erred on the shorter side multiple times and were rightly punished.
Sure, the pitch didn’t have enough bite and turn for the spinners, but Padikkal still trusted the right methods. Ultimately, that’s what matters on any surface.
Padikkal’s spin game gives India some relief
Undoubtedly, India have spin problems, with most batters struggling to manage turning balls at home. The likes of KL Rahul and Sai Sudharsan have shown obvious issues, with the latter tending to play almost everything from the back foot, including deliveries on good lengths. He has played around 34.07% of deliveries between 4 and 5 metres from the back foot against spin at home.
It’s not that Sai’s methods are completely faulty; he still maintains a reasonably high level of control against slow bowlers. The issue arises when spinners start bowling flatter and fuller. That’s where his natural movement back can make him a strong LBW candidate.
Against that backdrop, Devdutt Padikkal’s spin game must have pleased India and offered some relief. With Sai ruled out of the rubber, Padikkal will play both matches at No.3 and will hope to put on a better display, as India brace for trial by spin. For starters, India certainly wouldn’t mind more of what they saw in the practice game.
He’s more open to using his crease and getting to the pitch of the ball, which could eliminate half the problems. Against the turning ball, he has a significantly greater reach and showed the ability to take giant strides forward. Then, he’s quick enough to rock back to shorter lengths and use his strong wrists in front of square.
Even in the larger context, India need to prepare for a home Border-Gavaskar Trophy next year, where the Australian spinners will be far more skilled than what they faced against the West Indies and Afghanistan at home. They will bowl quicker through the air and have better control on that sweet length. A solid spin player at No.3, therefore, could prove invaluable, considering the overall vulnerability to spin bowling.
That leaves Padikkal with a chance to make runs in Sri Lanka from an opportunity that looked out of the equation at one stage. Strong performances here could strengthen his case ahead of Sai Sudharsan in the pecking order. And who knows, he might even find himself at No.3 when the BGT comes around early next year.
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