Devdutt Padikkal Called Up to India’s Squad for First Test Against Australia

Devdutt Padikkal, the young Indian batsman, has been added to the Indian squad for the first Test match against Australia in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, scheduled to begin on November 22 at Perth‘s Optus Stadium. This decision comes in the wake of injuries to key players, including captain Rohit Sharma and batsman Shubman Gill. Rohit Sharma will miss the first Test to spend time with his family following the birth of his baby boy, while Shubman Gill is out due to a minor finger injury.

Padikkal, who was initially part of the India A team for two four-day matches in Australia, has been retained as a batting backup. He expressed his excitement and surreal feeling about being part of the Indian Test team, highlighting the intense training sessions and the readiness of the team for the series. “It feels pretty surreal, to be honest. The intensity at the practice sessions is pretty high, you feel that challenge, you feel that everyone is ready, raring to go for the big series ahead,” Padikkal said.

Although Padikkal’s recent performances with India A were not particularly noteworthy, scoring 36, 88, 26, and 1, his experience and familiarity with Australian conditions make him a viable option for the Indian team. Padikkal made his Test debut earlier this year against England at Dharamsala, scoring 65 runs at No. 4.

There is some debate over the batting order, with Cheteshwar Pujara suggesting that KL Rahul, who has extensive experience, should bat at No. 3 instead of Padikkal. However, reports indicate that Padikkal might still take the No. 3 spot due to the left-hand, right-hand combination strategy.

Jasprit Bumrah will lead the Indian team in the absence of Rohit Sharma. The series is expected to be highly competitive, and the Indian team is looking to translate their intense training into strong performances on the field.