Devdutt Padikkal to make his debut in the fifth Test against England, will replace this player in the Playing XI

India and England will clash in the fifth and final Test of the series at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium in Dharamsala. Devdutt Padikkal who was included in the Test squad in place of KL Rahul is likely to make his debut as Rajat Patidar has not been able to perform in the limited chances he has got in the series. Rajat Patidar was included in the squad in place of Virat Kohli who opted out of the series due to the birth of his second child.

Devdutt Padikkal has a terrific record in First-Class cricket as he has amassed 2227 runs in 53 innings across 31 games at an average of 44.54 which includes 12 half-centuries and six centuries.

The 23-year-old southpaw is expected to make his debut and replace Rajat Patidar in the playing XI. Rajat Patidar has failed to impress with his performance in the three games he got. Patidar has managed to score only 63 runs in six innings at an average of 10.5 which includes two ducks.

Devdutt Padikkal is a great choice for No.4 in Team India’s playing XI. He got into the limelight with his performance in IPL 2020 where he represented Royal Challengers Bangalore.

Padikkal made his Team India debut in T20Is and has played two games, both against Sri Lanka in 2021. The fifth Test of the series is a dead rubber and a good chance for both teams to try out the players who have not had the opportunity in the series in the four Test matches.

Devdutt Padikkal is the only player in the Test squad who has not been tried yet in the series and it is expected that he will make his debut in the longest format for India during the fifth Test against England in Dharamsala.

He can be a good prospect for India in all formats as his record in domestic cricket in all three formats is noteworthy. However, it is left to see whether he can replicate his domestic performances on the international stage.

Devdutt Padikkal set to make his debut in the fifth Test against England in Dharamsala

The fifth Test of the series will commence on March 7 at the HPCA Stadium in Dharamsala and it will be the last Test match for India before the T20 World Cup. The next Test series for India is expected to be held in September/October 2024 against Bangladesh at home.

They will travel to Australia at the end of the year for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. This is the perfect opportunity to test new players like Devdutt Padikkal in the longest format.

India won the fourth Test by five wickets in Ranchi and has taken an unassailable lead in the series against England by 3-1 and are looking to win the fifth Test to improve their PCT in the WTC points table.

This is India’s 17th consecutive Test series win at home. They have not lost a Test series at home since the defeat against England in 2012 where Sir Alastair Cook led England to a 2-1 defeat against India.