The Indian team took on Sri Lanka in the first Test of the ongoing two-game series. The two sides met at the Galle International Stadium for the clash, and the performance of star batter Devdutt Padikkal stood out for the side. Batting first, India performed brilliantly in the clash.
Padikkal was the standout performer, scoring 167 runs in 230 deliveries as he dismantled Sri Lanka’s bowling attack across the first two days of play in Galle, garnering attention from experts and fans alike.
Speaking on the same, former South Africa cricketer AB de Villiers took centre stage and heaped massive praise on Padikkal for the showing that he put in against Sri Lanka and reflected on his time batting alongside him in the IPL as well.
"I loved batting with him in 2020 and 2021 because he's a left-hander. A tall bloke that plays the short ball pretty well, considering he's from the subcontinent. He's one of the new generation modern Indian batters who can play the short ball really well. I also enjoyed batting with him because he was so cool, calm, and collected. He was down to earth and would take my advice in and wasn't one of those cocky players who would turn his back on me,” De Villiers said in a video on his YouTube channel.
De Villiers opened up on picking Padikkal over Sarfaraz
It is worth noting that star batter Sarfaraz Khan was added to the squad ahead of the series as an injury replacement as well. Many opined that Sarfaraz Khan should start ahead of Padikkal in the clash, but De Villiers was always in favour of Padikkal being in the starting XI over Sarfaraz.
"This is why I was erring towards Padikkal over Sarfaraz pre-match. Padikkal has the ability to bat for long periods of time and also attack if need be. Especially in Sri Lanka, it's important to have an all-round specialist batter who can play spin and seam well but also bat for long periods like him,” De Villiers said. As day 2 ended, India posted a total of 460 runs and lost nine wickets in the process as well.
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