Devdutt Padikkal reflects on Player of the Series award after Colombo draw

Devdutt Padikkal has reflected on being named Player of the Series in India’s 1-0 Test win over Sri Lanka, saying the individual honour would have felt even better with a series sweep.

The left-hander scored 328 runs at an average of over 109 across the two Tests, hitting two centuries with a best of 167 after replacing the injured Sai Sudharsan in the XI.

“It would have been better if we got the win in this game as well. But at the end of the day, I’m happy that I could contribute,” Padikkal said of the drawn second Test.

He added that facing Sri Lanka’s spin attack had been a key personal target: “I was personally looking forward to the same, making sure I was prepared really well leading up to the series.”

India took the series with a 165-run win in Galle before Sri Lanka’s Sonal Dinusha forced a draw in Colombo with twin centuries in the second Test.

India won the series 1-0 after taking the first Test in Galle by 165 runs, before Sri Lanka’s Sonal Dinusha batted the hosts to an epic draw in the second Test at Colombo with an unbeaten 133.

Dinusha, who scored a century in each innings of the second Test, was named Player of the Match for his efforts, even as Padikkal’s series-long consistency saw him take the overall series honour.

India’s failure to close out the second Test meant the side missed out on a share of crucial World Test Championship points that a series sweep would have brought.

Padikkal’s 167 came in India’s first innings of the series and remains his highest Test score to date, underlining the scale of his breakthrough on the tour.

The left-hander’s performance has strengthened his case for a settled opening role in India’s Test line-up heading into the team’s upcoming home season.

Photo by Lionel Allorge, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 (representative cricket image)