India’s warm-up match against Sri Lanka Cricket XI has completed its second day, and this time it was the Indian batters who were under the spotlight.
Two players, in particular, stood out — Devdutt Padikkal and Ravindra Jadeja.
Padikkal produced an excellent century when India needed it, while Jadeja once again showed why his contribution with the bat remains so important in Test cricket.
However, it was not a perfect day for India. Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rishabh Pant and Dhruv Jurel failed to make an impact, raising a few concerns ahead of the two-match Test series.
Devdutt Padikkal Makes a Big Statement With 142
For Devdutt Padikkal, this could hardly have been a better day.
India’s batting was under pressure after losing some of their key players cheaply, but Padikkal stood firm at one end and played an excellent innings.
He scored 142 and gave the Indian innings the stability it desperately needed.
What made the knock more impressive was what was happening around him. Some of India’s established batters struggled against the Sri Lanka Cricket XI attack, but Padikkal looked comfortable and made the most of his opportunity.
It was exactly the kind of innings he needed ahead of the Sri Lanka Test series.
Until this point, Padikkal was largely being looked at as a backup option. Sai Sudharsan was expected to be ahead of him in the race for the No. 3 position, subject to clearing his fitness test.
Then came another development that could completely change Padikkal’s situation.
Sai Sudharsan Injury Has Open Door for Padikkal
While Padikkal was making his case with the bat, news emerged regarding Sai Sudharsan’s fitness.
Sudharsan is now expected to miss the Sri Lanka Tests due to injury.
For Padikkal, the timing could not have been more important.
He has scored a century in the warm-up match and could now find himself with a much clearer route into India’s playing XI.
If Sudharsan is unavailable, Padikkal could be the obvious option for the No. 3 position.
More importantly, he would enter the Test series with the confidence of a 142-run knock behind him.
There is a huge difference between entering a Test series simply as a replacement and entering it immediately after scoring a big hundred in the same conditions.
Padikkal has done everything he could with the opportunity given to him.
Ravindra Jadeja Shows His Value With the Bat Again
The other big positive for India was Ravindra Jadeja.
Jadeja came into this game without playing competitive cricket since the IPL, but it did not take him long to show his value.
He scored 63 and provided Padikkal with the support India badly needed.
Jadeja has been doing this for India in Test cricket for years now. His importance is not limited to his left-arm spin.
With the bat, he can rescue India when the top order fails, build partnerships and score crucial runs from the lower-middle order.
This innings was another reminder of that ability.
Despite the long gap from competitive cricket, Jadeja looked ready for the challenge.
His performance should give India plenty of confidence ahead of the Test series because in Sri Lankan conditions, Jadeja could have a major role with both bat and ball.
Padikkal and Jadeja Rescue India
Without Padikkal and Jadeja, the situation could have looked very different for India.
Padikkal scored 142, while Jadeja contributed 63 as the pair helped India move within six runs of Sri Lanka Cricket XI’s first-innings total by the end of Day 2.
Their performances prevented India’s batting from being completely exposed after some of the more established names failed.
That is why these two were clearly the biggest positives of the day.
However, the failures elsewhere in the batting order cannot simply be ignored.
Yashasvi Jaiswal’s Failure Raises Another Concern
Yashasvi Jaiswal was one of the biggest disappointments of the day.
The left-handed opener was dismissed for a duck after facing only two deliveries.
One failure in a warm-up match should not be overanalysed, but there have been some questions around Jaiswal’s consistency in red-ball cricket recently.
He has already shown what he can do when he gets going. The talent and attacking ability are unquestionable.
However, Test cricket demands consistency, especially from an opener.
Getting dismissed without scoring against Sri Lanka Cricket XI is certainly not the preparation Jaiswal would have wanted before facing Sri Lanka’s main bowling attack.
The actual Test matches could present tougher pitches and a much more experienced bowling unit.
India will need Jaiswal to find his rhythm quickly.
Rishabh Pant Scores Just Two Runs
There were also plenty of expectations from Rishabh Pant.
Pant was playing competitive cricket after a considerable gap following the IPL, so this warm-up match was an important opportunity for him to spend time in the middle.
However, that did not happen.
Pant managed only two runs from five deliveries before being dismissed.
Unlike some of the other concerns, there is little reason to panic over Pant’s form based on one warm-up innings.
His record and ability in Test cricket are well known.
Still, India would have wanted him to spend more time at the crease and build some confidence before the first Test.
That opportunity is now gone, at least from this innings.
Dhruv Jurel Disappoints Again
The third disappointment was Dhruv Jurel.
Jurel managed only one run from nine deliveries and failed to make use of the opportunity.
His performance will attract attention because India have backed him strongly as a Test option.
Jurel has already shown that he can perform under pressure. His memorable innings against England demonstrated his temperament and ability in the longer format.
However, since then, consistent big performances have been harder to find.
There is no question about his talent, but India will want more consistency from him.
A warm-up game against Sri Lanka Cricket XI was an opportunity to spend time in the middle and build confidence.
Instead, he walked back after scoring just one.
What Happens Against Sri Lanka’s Main Bowling Attack?
This is where India need to look carefully at their batting performance.
Jaiswal scored zero. Pant made two. Jurel managed one.
And this was a warm-up match against Sri Lanka Cricket XI.
The actual Test series will bring a more experienced bowling attack and potentially more challenging surfaces.
If India’s batters are struggling to score against relatively inexperienced bowlers on a decent batting surface, what happens when conditions become more difficult?
Of course, this is still only a practice game.
Warm-up matches are meant to prepare players rather than produce results, and one poor innings does not determine how somebody will perform in a Test series.
But the purpose of these matches is also to identify areas that need improvement.
India have certainly found a few.
