In a candid interview, Indian cricketer Devdutt Padikkal shared his experience of training with the Indian team for the highly-anticipated Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024. He talked about the intensity of the practice sessions and his delight in being called up to join the squad. Padikkal also expressed his eagerness to translate his training into the actual game, as he has been selected as a reserve for the five-match series against Australia.
The Indian cricket team's decision to retain Devdutt Padikkal for the Border-Gavaskar trophy series may prove to be a game changer if Shubman Gill's thumb injury sidelines him. In a video shared by the BCCI, Padikkal expresses his excitement and readiness to take on the challenge of facing Australia in his second Test match. His impressive performance in India A's tour Down Under, including a score of 88 in the first unofficial Test, has earned him a spot on the national team. Mayank Agarwal's advice to Padikkal to maintain the right mindset will be crucial in making the most of this opportunity.
In the first match of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, India makes a strategic decision to bench Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja in favor of Washington Sundar. KL Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal will open the batting, with Devdutt Padikkal making his Test debut at number three. The team will also hope for a return to form from Virat Kohli as they face a tough series against Australia.
Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood made history on Day 1 of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy by becoming the first Australian new-ball attack to claim 400 Test wickets. Starc struck first, dismissing Yashasvi Jaiswal for a duck while Hazlewood removed debutant Devdutt Padikkal for a nought. This milestone further solidifies the duo's position as one of the most lethal bowling pairs in Test cricket.
India has made bold choices for their first Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25, naming a pace-bowling dominant playing XI with two debutants and a surprise inclusion of Washington Sundar. The spin-bowling allrounder will shoulder a lot of responsibility as the lone spinner in a team that includes names like KL Rahul, Virat Kohli, and Rishabh Pant. Sundar's impressive form in the previous series against New Zealand is what earned him a spot in the team, along with two other notable additions, Devdutt Padikkal and Dhruv Jurel. The Indian team also announced their full squad for the series, with some big names missing, making this a highly anticipated and intriguing matchup.
In a preview to the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, India A faced off against Australia A in their first four-day Test. What ensued was a disastrous collapse for India A with doggett's spell of 6/15 dismantling the batters. Despite a promising start from Devdutt Padikkal, India A crumbled and were bowled out for 107 runs. However, the bowlers showed some fight as Australia A also struggled with the bat, ending the day at 99/4.
On the first day of the Duleep Trophy opening round, India A faced off against India B while India C took on India D. Vyshak Vijaykumar of India A claimed two wickets in one over, dismissing India D's Devdutt Padikkal and Anshul Kamboj. Later, India D's captain Aryan Dubey also fell for a nick to the keeper, putting their team in a tough position against a dominating India A. Stay tuned for updates on this intense matchup.
Anuj Rawat's stunning catch to dismiss Devdutt Padikkal proved to be a game-changer for Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in their match against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. The young wicketkeeper's swift movement and exceptional athleticism left the home crowd in a frenzy as they rallied behind their team. After Padikkal's dismissal, RCB's bowlers, led by Glenn Maxwell's impressive figures of 2/23, restricted LSG to a total of 181 runs. In response, RCB's Quinton de Kock and Nicholas Pooran's explosive knocks helped the team to secure a successful chase and a thrilling victory over LSG in the ongoing IPL 2024.
In an exciting fifth and final Test match between India and England in Dharamshala, R Ashwin's spectacular bowling performance resulted in a satisfying win for India, sealing the series 4-1. With a lead of 259 runs, India's dominant batting lineup, led by Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill, set the stage for Ashwin's legendary bowling. His efforts were supported by Jasprit Bumrah and Kuldeep Yadav, who picked up two wickets each, leaving England struggling with only Joe Root (84) and Jonny Bairstow (39) as the top two scorers. India further strengthened its team with notable performances from Devdutt Padikkal (65) and Sarfaraz Khan (56), while England's Shoaib Bashir picked up five wickets.
Devdutt Padikkal made his Test debut in the fifth match between India and England, becoming the fifth Indian player to debut in one series. He replaces Rajat Patidar, who was sidelined due to injury, and has had an exceptional season in domestic cricket with six centuries and over 2,000 runs. He impressed selectors with his third Ranji century, scoring 151 against Tamil Nadu.