"I think they will go for Devdutt Padikkal"- Brad Hogg believes India will hand left-hander Test debut over Sarfaraz Khan against England
Former Australian cricketer Brad Hogg believes India might pick uncapped left-hander Devdutt Padikkal instead of Sarfaraz Khan in their playing XI for the third Test against England in Rajkot.
With senior batters like Virat Kohli and KL Rahul unavailable and Shreyas Iyer being dropped, it seems certain that one among Sarfaraz and Padikkal would be getting a Test cap on February 15.
In a video on his YouTube channel, Brad Hogg explained why he believes Devdutt Padikkal would serve India's purpose better at the moment. He said (3:38):
"I think they will go for Padikkal (over Sarfaraz). He has scored a fine hundred against Tamil Nadu the other day. It was a brilliant innings. Coach Rahul Dravid is a big one (admirer) for top-order batters. You need to be able to bat in more than one position and that's what Padikkal does."
Devdutt Padikkal has been on fire in the Ranji Trophy with a staggering 556 runs from just four games this season, including a sparkling 151 against Tamil Nadu last week. He was also in prime form for India A, scoring a hundred and a half-century against England Lions.
Brad Hogg believes Sarfaraz Khan struggles with pace
Brad Hogg has seen Sarfaraz Khan struggle against extreme pace in the IPL. He reckons that with England playing Mark Wood in Rajkot, India going with Devdutt Padikkal ahead of Sarfaraz would be a smarter choice.
On this, he said (6:37):
"We have seen Sarfaraz Khan have a bit of trouble with pace in the IPL. But if he has been working on it, Rahul Dravid has been having him in the nets facing Bumrah and handling him well then I would go with Sarfaraz Khan. But what I have seen outside of the little bubble, I will go with Padikkal. I know I have been harsh on Sarfaraz Khan there, but I love what Padiakkal got to offer with a left-hander in that line-up."
Hogg further added (1:04:45):
"Looking at the stats, the false-shot percentage is better for England than India and England are playing a more aggressive game. If it's a flat wicket, I think the advantage could go to England in Rajkot."
Hogg believes if England can negotiate the threat of Jasprit Bumrah and get a batting pitch in Rajkot, they can put pressure on India with their Bazball approach. England have made one change to their line-up, with Wood replacing Shoaib Bashir.