Devdutt Padikkal reveals mantra behind making run scoring look easy in Galle Test hundred
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "Devdutt Padikkal reveals mantra behind making run scoring look easy in Galle Test hundred")
Padikkal reveals mantra behind making run scoring look easy in Galle Test ton Photograph: (AFP)
Devdutt Padikkal smashed a career-best 167 against Sri Lanka in the Galle Test. Read how his hunger for runs and spin-bowling strategy fueled his milestone century.
India’s only centurion so far in the Galle Test against Sri Lanka, Devdutt Padikkal, revealed what keeps his engine going in the middle as he smashed his career-best 167 in only his fourth Test, propelling India to 460 for nine at stumps on day two. Padikkal was on a roll in Galle, taking on Sri Lankan spinners and seamers at will, hitting 15 fours and a six in his marathon outing.
Entering this match on the back of an unbeaten 142 in India’s only warm-up fixture, Padikkal scored big batting at number three. His 167 even forced broadcaster Sanjay Manjrekar to choose him over first-choice Sai Sudharsan for that position, who missed out on selection due to a toe injury. Manjrekar said India should persist with Padikkal even when Sai attains full fitness.
Upon sealing his chance, Padikkal explained how hunger for runs and seeing off the first 10 balls make his job easier.
"I think, honestly, it's just the hunger to [score] more runs," Padikkal said in a chat with Sony Sports Network after the second day’s play.
"I just enjoy batting out there, and the moment you get to a hundred, it's easy to relax and feel that relief. But for me, the next 20-30 balls are a really important phase that I try and make sure that I'm completely focused, completely there.
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"I think when I get past those first ten balls after [getting to my] hundred, I think it makes my job a whole lot easier. And over the years, I've seen so many cricketers get big runs, get big hundreds, especially back in Karnataka, so just watching them bat makes me want to do the same,” he added.
Padikkal’s Mantra of Playing Spin
Tackling spin in Sri Lanka was always going to be challenging until Padikkal made it look easy. How he came down the track and smashed his sixth ball for a straight six tells a lot about his preparation against the turning ball, and on such tracks.
Explaining in detail how the team management has helped him work on that, Padikkal said, "Yeah, I think we [the India team] have discussed that at length. Especially when you're playing spin, it's important that you have certain plans in your head. You cannot go out there and expect to react [to the ball] all the time. It's important that you have a couple of shots in your head that you want to play as soon as you go out there, so that you can put some pressure on the bowler as well.
"So I think over the last year or so, we have really worked on trying to find ways [within] our own strengths that we can really implement to make sure that we put pressure back [on the bowlers],” he continued.
As things stand, India has batted 116 overs for 460 runs at the loss of nine wickets in the first innings.
