3 reasons why Devdutt Padikkal should replace Rajat Patidar in India's 11 for Dharamsala Test
Devdutt Padikkal was named in the Indian squad as a replacement for KL Rahul after the latter was ruled out of the third Test against England in Rajkot. He did not get a chance to feature in the playing XI in the third Test and remained on the bench for the fourth Test in Ranchi as well.
According to a report in Hindustan Times, though, the 23-year-old Karnataka batter is all set to make his Test debut in the fifth and final Test of the series, which will be held at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium in Dharamsala from March 7. Although Rajat Patidar has been retained in the squad for the fifth Test, he might not feature in the playing XI.
“Padikkal will make his debut in Dharamsala. Rahul is unlikely to be available and the team management wants to have a look at Padikkal as it is the last international fixture before the IPL," a BCCI source was quoted as telling HT.
On that note, let’s analyze three reasons why Padikkal replacing Patidar in India's playing XI for the Ranchi Test is the right move.
#1 Patidar has just not looked the part
Patidar was handed his much-deserved Test debut in Visakhapatnam on the back of some solid performances in domestic cricket. The 30-year-old has been a consistent performer for Madhya Pradesh in domestic cricket. He also impressed for India A against England Lions ahead of the Test series, scoring hundreds in the tour match as well as the first unofficial Test, both of which were played in Ahmedabad.
The batter, though, has just not looked the part in the Test series. He scored a decent 32 in his debut Test innings in Visakhapatnam. However, in his last five innings, Patidar has looked like a fish out of water in Test cricket. After being dismissed for 9 in the second innings in Visakhapatnam, he scored five and zero in Rajkot. In both innings, he chipped balls to fielders, giving simple catches, not knowing how to deal with them.
Patidar was retained for the Ranchi Test, but again failed to grab his opportunities as he was dismissed for 17 and 0. Again, he did not fall to unplayable deliveries. In fact, barring the first innings in Visakhapatnam, when he was unlucky to be bowled, the right-handed batter has been dismissed in rather soft fashion during his other visits to the crease. Being away from the limelight might not be a bad thing for him as of now.
#2 Additional left-hander in middle-order could challenge England’s spinners
India went into the Ranchi Test with only two left-handers in their middle-order, although Kuldeep Yadav has also done a commendable job with the bat in the lower-order. Among proper batters, the hosts have Yashasvi Jaiswal at the top of the order and all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja in the middle-order.
Having a third southpaw in the middle-order might not be a bad ploy. It could make the young England spinners, who have done a good job in the series, think a bit more. Taking a look at how India’s left-handers have performed in the series so far, Jaiswal is the leading run-getter, with 655 runs from eight innings at an average of 93.57.
Jadeja is seventh on the list of leading run-scorers in the India-England series, with 217 runs at an average of 43.40. However, it must be remembered that he missed one of the Test matches due to injury. Among Indian batters, apart from Jaiswal, only opener Shubman Gill and skipper Rohit Sharma have scored more runs than Jadeja in the series.
Even Axar Patel thwarted England’s bowlers with 133 runs in four innings at an average of 33.25, while featuring in the first two Tests. So, just like India’s batters have their issues with left-arm spinners, England’s slow bowlers seem to find left-handed batters tough to tackle. A good enough reason to try out Padikkal instead of Patidar.
#3 India might as well play Padikkal if he has been picked
With the exception of Patidar, this series has been a good one for India’s debutants. Sarfaraz Khan made his much awaited debut in the third Test in Rajkot and scored half-centuries in both innings. With some better luck, he might even have notched up three figures.
Keeper-batter Dhruv Jurel also made his Test debut in Rajkot with Sarfaraz. He has been excellent behind the stumps in both the third and fourth Tests. Speaking of his batting, it has been match-defining. After beginning with a resolute 46 in Rajkot, he scored 90 in Ranchi, when India had their backs to their wall. Even in the second innings, he contributed 39*, after Team India stumbled in a chase of 192.
With Bumrah being rested, the hosts handed a Test debut to Akash Deep in Ranchi. He made a huge impact right away, dislodging three big England batters in the first session on Day 1. It has been a great series for India’s debutants. With the series already in the bag, India might as well hand another debut cap - to Padikkal in Dharamsala.