India batter Devdutt Padikkal was handed his Test cap by veteran spin-bowling all-rounder Ravinchandran Ashwin at the HPCA Stadium. India is taking on England in the fifth and final Test of the series in Dharamsala.
Padikkal came in for the injured Rajat Patidar in the fifth Test against England. Patidar picked up an injury during training as confirmed by India skipper Rohit Sharma at the toss. Patidar was handed his Test cap in Vizag but managed scoring just 63 runs in six innings. England won the toss and opted to bat first in the fifth Test.
Padikkal was called up for the Indian Test side for the third match of their series against England following an injury to wicket-keeping batter KL Rahul.
Rahul was named in the squad for the third Test, but his selection in the team was subject to fitness. The veteran failed to recover in time, after which Padikkal got an opportunity.
Padikkal has been putting up a commendable performance in the ongoing Ranji Trophy. The left-handed batter from Karnataka has racked up 556 runs in four matches at an average of 92.66 and a strike-rate of 76.90 with 3 centuries to his name.
His crowning achievements include scoring 193 against Punjab at the KSCA Hubli Cricket Ground, playing an instrumental role in Karnataka’s win, and 151 against Tamil Nadu. To date, he has played in 31 first-class matches, notching up 2227 runs at an average of 44.54 and strike rate of 59.45. The consistent performances, including six hundreds and twelve fifties helped him earn a Test cap for India.
India is facing England in the final match of their Test series. The hosts took an unassailable 3-1 lead in the Test series, bouncing back and registering wins in Vizag, Rajkot and Ranchi following their defeat in Hyderabad.
India starting XI for 5th Test
Rohit Sharma (C), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Devdutt Padikkal, Sarfaraz Khan, Dhruv Jurel (WK), Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Jasprit Bumrah.
Ananya Das is your guide to the latest trends, viral sensations, and internet phenomena. Based on a keen understanding of digital culture, Sophie navigates the ever-evolving landscape of trending topics. With an insightful and engaging approach, she explores what’s buzzing across social media platforms, ensuring readers stay in the loop with the most talked-about and shareable content online.
