Young spinner Manav Sutar secures early wicket against Sri Lanka's star batsman during India vs Sri Lanka match

Indian batsman Devdhadhat Padikkal demonstrated outstanding play on the first day of the Test match against Sri Lanka in Galle on August 15 (Saturday). Coming in at number three, Padikkal scored his first century in his Test career.

In his first innings for India, Padikkal scored 134 runs, using 9 fours and one six to complete his century.

Devdhadhat Padikkal is the second left-handed batsman in the 21st century to score a hundred while batting at number three for India. Before him, this feat was achieved by Sorav Gavaskar. The former captain of India, Sorav Gavaskar, scored 136 runs against Zimbabwe in Delhi in 2002.

After a long break, no Indian batsman had scored a hundred at number three in Test matches. The last player to achieve this was Shubman Gill, who accomplished this feat in September 2024 against Bangladesh in Chennai.

In the 19 Test matches played between that match and the current one, the Indian team tested seven different batsmen at number three. However, the performance of these seven players in this position did not meet expectations: they averaged 27.28 in 35 innings and managed to reach 50 or more only five times. Now Padikkal has ended a long wait by scoring a hundred in Galle.

This match is the third for 26-year-old Devdhadhat Padikkal. In the two previous Test matches, he scored an average of 90 runs in 30.00. Padikkal debuted in Test matches in March 2024 against England in Darmstadt. In his debut Test innings, Padikkal scored an impressive 65 runs. Furthermore, Padikkal played for the Indian team in two T20 international matches, where he scored an average of 38 runs in 19.00.

The era of spin bowling is gradually drawing to a close in the Indian team. With Ravichandran Ashwin's retirement, the task has arisen to find a replacement for him in the Indian Test squad, and now questions are turning to Ravindra Jadeja's future. In this regard, former Indian spinner Murali Karthik named the player he sees as Jadeja's heir.

According to Karthik, 24-year-old left-arm spinner Manav Chatur possesses all the qualities that make him a contender for Jadeja's spot in the future. Chatur has demonstrated his usefulness with both ball and bat in recent months.

Murali Karthik advised against directly comparing Chatur with Jadeja, insisting that Chatur needs time to develop his playing style. Karthik recalled his first viewing of Chatur's debut against Afghanistan, noting the obvious consistency and skill in his deliveries at that time.

Karthik emphasized that Chatur is capable of bowling the ball in the air, imparting spin, and consistently placing it in the required zones. This is why he considers him an extremely valuable player for the future. Karthik also joked about Jadeja, stating that he might give him a punch in the next meeting, although he clarified that it was just a joke.

According to Karthik, Jadeja is currently at a stage in his career where the team needs to look ahead. This means it is crucial to identify and prepare a player who can take his place in Indian cricket. He admitted that taking over after Jadeja will not be easy, but Chatur's performances have instilled hope.

Manav Chatur made his debut in the Test against Afghanistan, and he made this match memorable. In the match played in Mullanpur, Chatur broke the Afghan batting attack, taking 6 wickets in the first innings. In the second innings, he added another wicket, totaling seven wickets in the game. He was awarded the 'Player of the Match' award. His performance in the first innings was 6/33, and in the second, 1/29. India won this match by a margin of 300 runs, which was India's largest Test victory in history.

Chatur contributed not only to bowling but also to batting. In his debut match, he played a useful innings of 28 runs. This all-round ability makes him a particularly interesting candidate for the role of a possible successor to Jadeja.

After his Test debut, Chatur played for Warwickshire in English county cricket. In the match against Somerset, he took 2 wickets in the first innings and 5 wickets in the second, totaling seven wickets in that game. This was his first five-wicket haul in county cricket. Before that, he had already taken four wickets in his county debut against Yorkshire. Thus, Chatur consistently demonstrates his presence in red-ball cricket.

Before the Test series against Sri Lanka, the issue of spin bowling in the Indian team was actively discussed. The team management faced a choice between the experienced Jadeja and young players like Chatur, who represent the future. Chatur also performed well in a friendly match against Sri Lanka Cricket XI in Colombo before the trip to Sri Lanka. He took two wickets with the ball and scored 41 not out runs with the bat. This performance once again demonstrated his all-round qualities.

Nevertheless, rushing to compare Chatur with Jadeja is premature. Jadeja played a key role in Indian Test cricket for a long time, winning teams with both ball and bat. His record includes over 300 wickets and more than 3000 runs in Tests. However, Chatur's start raises hopes. He is a left-arm spinner capable of batting, and he has shown the ability to bowl long spells of red-ball deliveries. This is why not only former Indian spinners but also foreign stars consider him a promising player for the future. Former Indian spinner Graham Swan also noted that Chatur has the potential to take on responsibility after Jadeja.

Now the main question is whether Manav Chatur can replace Jadeja in the near future. It is too early to answer, but his performances in the Test debut, in county cricket, and in the friendly match before the trip to Sri Lanka clearly show that Indian cricket likely has a new potential left-arm all-rounder.

The Indian team is preparing for a two-match test series against Sri Lanka, concluding the final stage of training activities. During the second day of the three-day friendly match against the Sri Lankan team (SLC XI), a humorous incident occurred that helped lighten the mood in the Indian camp.

Ravindra Jadeja suddenly started bowling in the manner of spinner Kuldeep Yadav. Seeing this scene, head coach Gautam Gambhir could not contain his laughter. A recorded video of this funny moment showed how Jadeja copied Kuldeep's bowling characteristics, including his characteristic run-up to the ball, slightly exaggerating the action, which caused bursts of laughter in the dressing room.

Kuldeep Yadav is a left-arm wrist spinner, and his bowling technique differs significantly from Ravindra Jadeja's style, who usually uses a very short run-up when left-arm spinning. When Jadeja tried to replicate Kuldeep's bowling, the sight was quite comical. During the friendly match, both players got the opportunity to bowl long spells.

In the match, Jadeja performed successfully, taking two wickets while conceding 64 runs in 15 overs. His victims were Pasindu Suriyabanda and Ramesh Mendis. Kuldeep Yadav, bowling 18 overs, conceded 76 runs and also took two wickets, dismissing Ahana Vikramsinghe and Anjalu Bandara. Besides them, left-arm spinner Manav Sutaran also impressed by taking two wickets while conceding only 33 runs in 13 overs.

The Sri Lankan team declared its first innings with a score of 363 runs, losing 8 wickets. After bowling, Ravindra Jadeja demonstrated usefulness as a batsman. When India lost 4 wickets with a score of 174 runs, Jadeja, along with Manav Sutaran, stabilized the game. He scored 63 runs off 117 balls, using 7 fours, after which he sustained an injury and was forced to leave the field, giving other batsmen a chance to practice.

Devdutt Padikkal became the main star of the Indian batting, scoring a century, thereby strengthening his claim for the number three position in the Gaul Test match. Thanks to Padikkal's century and the contribution of the lower order players, the Indian team scored 357 runs on the second day, losing 6 wickets.