The no.3 position in the Indian playing XI comes with a huge history and legacy in the history of country’s Test cricket. it carried a unique weight for nearly three decades, courtesy Rahul Dravid and Cheteshwar Pujara who turned that batting position into an impenetrable fortress.
Following Pujara’s last match for India in 2023, a number of players – Shubman Gill, Karun Nair, Washington Sundar, KL Rahul – were tried and tested in that no.3 slot but none of them could really leave a mark. Sai Sudharsan did try to cement his position at no.3, but a foot injury opened the doors for Padikkal’s return to the longest format.
Making a comeback into the Indian Test XI after more than two years, the Karnataka batter grabbed the opportunity with both hands. Playing just his second Test in the Sri Lanka series, Padikkal scored his maiden hundred in the longest format, scoring 167. India won the Test by an innings.
He followed it up with another hundred in the second Test in a drawn encounter. Previously, Padikkal had scored a century in the warm-up game too. Speaking in filling the shoes of Dravid and Pujara, Padikkal admitted to the challenges he will face in the future. “At the end of the day, it’s about going out there and batting,” the left-hander told Star Sports.
“It doesn’t matter what position I’m batting at, I’m trying to contribute to the side. Yes, obviously, there have been great players who have played at number three for India over the years, and I’m sure there’ll be a lot more scrutiny on me and a lot more comparisons made,” he added,
On conversations with Rahul Dravid
Meanwhile, Padikkal’s show in Sri Lanka has temporarily shut the door on Sudharsan. The Indian team will next play New Zealand in an away series before hosting Australia in a five Tests at home in the longest format. The Indian think-tank is likely to give Padikkal a longer rope.
Growing up watching Dravid, Padikkal also had the opportunity to interact with the legend himself since they both belog from the same state. Asked about his conversations for the former Indian captain, Padikkal revealed about the inputs he got from The Wall (Dravid’s nickname).
“Obviously, I’ve had a lot of conversations with him over the years in terms of batting and what it takes to really spend long hours out there. Again, it comes back to preparation and understanding what you want to do. As long as you have that clarity in your head about what your plans are and what you want to go out there and do, regardless of the position you’re batting at, it helps a lot,” he added.
‘Nothing is taken for granted’
With the bumper home Test season in front of him, Padikkal doesn’t want to take his place in the playing XI for granted. Instead, he knows as long as he is scoring runs, Padikkal’s place in the side will be unharmed. “As long as I’m scoring runs, I think it always benefits the side,” he said.
“Test cricket is not the easiest format, as we all know, so you have to keep performing day in and day out. You get limited opportunities these days, and it’s not very easy to cement a place in a side. Nothing is taken for granted. For me, personally, I just want to keep scoring runs and keep contributing to wins for the Indian Test side. As long as I’m doing that, I’m sure I’ll have my place,” he concluded.
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