Devdutt Padikkal To Make India Debut In IND vs ENG 5th Test In Dharamshala: Report

Karnataka star batter Devdutt Padikkal will make his India debut in Tests in IND vs ENG 5th Test in Dharamshala on March 7, Hindustan Times reported.

Karnataka star batter Devdutt Padikkal will make his India debut in Tests in IND vs ENG 5th Test in Dharamshala on March 7, Hindustan Times reported.

According to the report, Devdutt Padikkal will step in for Rajat Patidar, who faced challenges in scoring during the three IND vs ENG Tests he participated in, managing scores of 32, 9, 5, 0, 17, and 0.

Patidar is slated to feature in India playing 11 for Dharamshala Test, substituting for KL Rahul, who has not yet fully recuperated from a quadriceps injury sustained during IND vs ENG series opener in Hyderabad.

At 23 years old, Padikkal will be the fifth player to mark his debut in IND vs ENG Test series, joining Rajat Patidar, Sarfaraz Khan, Dhruv Jurel, and Akash Deep.

Devdutt Padikkal has showcased remarkable form in the current Ranji Trophy season, scoring three centuries and a total of 556 runs in four matches, boasting an impressive average of 92.66.

Across his entire first-class career, Padikkal has accumulated 2227 runs from 31 games, maintaining an average of 44.54.

India have already won IND vs ENG 5-match Test series 3-1. The fifth and final Test between India and England will be played in Dharamshala, starting from March 7 onwards.