Devdutt Padikkal hit a six to reach his half-century in his Test debut for India against England on Friday, March 8, at the HPCA Stadium in Dharamsala. That happened in the 87th over of India’s first innings.
Shoaib Bashir delivered a full-length delivery around off, which Padikkal lofted over long-on to get his fifty. The southpaw hoisted his bat as his teammates and coaches rose up and celebrated in the locker room.
Watch the shot below:
Padikkal finished with 65 runs from 103 balls, including six and ten fours. He was ultimately bowled by Bashir.
The Karnataka hitter has improved steadily in first-class cricket, earning him a national call. During the 2023-24 Ranji Trophy season, the 23-year-old scored 556 runs in just six innings at a strong 92.66 average, including three tons. Earlier this year, he also scored 105 against the English Lions.
Overall, Devdutt Padikkal has scored 2,227 runs in 31 FC games, including six centuries and 12 fifties. He will now try to emulate his success with Team India.
Devdutt Padikkal and Sarfaraz Khan smash half-centuries against England on Day 2
Devdutt Padikkal and Sarfaraz Khan both scored half-centuries against England on Day 2. The pair established a 97-run partnership for the fourth wicket. Sarfaraz made 56 runs from 60 balls, including one six and eight boundaries.
At the time of writing, the hosts were 406/5 after 93 overs, leading by 188 runs, with Dhruv Jurel and Ravindra Jadeja on the pitch.
India skipper Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill both scored hundreds in the opening session. Rohit scored 103 runs in 162 deliveries, including three maximums and 13 boundaries. Gill scored 110 off 150, including five sixes and 12 boundaries. The two put up a 174-run partnership for the second wicket. Yashasvi Jaiswal also contributed 57 off 58, taking the series total above 700 runs.
On the first day, the guest team finished with 218 runs. Zak Crawley shone as the batsman, making 79 runs off 108 balls. Kuldeep Yadav snagged five wickets. Meanwhile, on his 100th Test, Ravichandran Ashwin capped it off with four wickets.
India leads the five-match Test series 3-1, having won consecutively in Vizag, Rajkot, and Ranchi.
