Devdutt Padikkal and Sai Sudharsan [Source - AFP]A couple of months ago, Devdutt Padikkal replaced an injured Sai Sudharsan for India’s two-match Test tour of Sri Lanka. Batting at number three, the RCB champion seized the opportunity with both hands, plundering two majestic centuries in three innings and fittingly bagging the ‘Player of the Series’ award. With Padikkal making the most of his Test return, Sudharsan has now finally broken his silence as the 25-year-old saw his exclusive number three spot for India snatched away by a fellow left-handed talent. Sai Sudharsan says competition with Devdutt Padikkal a “good thing”Both Sai Sudharsan and Devdutt Padikkal are included in India A squad for their two-match unofficial home Test series against Australia A in Puducherry. With Padikkal leading the side, the hosts won the first match by 162 runs to take a 1-0 lead in the series. Speaking after the match, Sudharsan was asked to address his competition with Padikkal as the latter snatched away his number three position for Team India with a series-winning performance in Sri Lanka.Also Read- Devdutt Padikkal Makes 1st Comment On Sai Sudharsan After Scoring Century In His AbsenceThe Gujarat Titans opener shrugged off any competition or rivalry with Padikkal, and claimed that getting replaced is just a part of the journey. He said “First of all, it’s not frustrating at all. It’s just the journey we are going through. And our body also responds to certain things. It’s about that. We are also refining our habits every day. So, it’s a good thing.”Sudharsan, Padikkal win it for India AAs both Sai Sudharsan and Devdutt Padikkal battle each other for India’s number three spot, the two cricketers recently masterminded India A’s comprehensive win over Australia A in Puducherry.While Sudharsan crafted a half-century in the first innings of the match on Day 1, captain Padikkal composed a fighting 59 in the second India A innings. Moreover, the two batters also shared a match-winning 68-run partnership for the second wicket to set the visitors a daunting target of 364. Speaking on his match-winning effort with Devdutt Padikkal on his comeback match no less, Sai Sudharsan said, “On wickets like these, it’s important to put the bowlers on the back foot and keep pressing them. So, the options were clear. The wicket assisted quite a lot. So, it was about how we use our feet and how we read the length as early as possible and choose the right options.”Sai Sudharsan vs Devdutt Padikkal – Who is better at number three?Sai Sudharsan has spent the entirety of his seven-match Test career for India so far as a number three batter, aggregating 383 runs in 12 innings at an underwhelming average of 31.91. Padikkal, meanwhile, has minted 353 runs in five innings spanning three Tests at the same position at an average of 70.60. However, a major chunk of those runs (328 to be exact), were mounted by him in the space of just three innings of a single series against Sri Lanka a couple of months ago as the 26-year-old made amends for his underwhelming beginnings.Not long ago, Sudharsan also punched out a fighting 81 at number three in a match-winning cause for India, doing so in New Chandigarh against Afghanistan back in June this year.All in all, it is difficult to determine a clear winner between the two, even though the statistics currently lean towards Devdutt Padikkal.Who will selectors pick for New Zealand tour?With Sai Sudharsan attaining full recovery and playing for India A against Australia, it remains to be seen if the BCCI selection committee will select him or pick in-form Devdutt Padikkal for India’s upcoming two-match Test series in New Zealand.The final call will ultimately rest with the selectors, but the Sudharsan-Padikkal battle has certainly added an intriguing subplot to India’s Test selection ahead of the New Zealand tour.Also Read- Nepal Almost Eliminate Reigning Silver Medalist Afghanistan In Asian Games
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