India batting coach Sitanshu Kotak credited Devdutt Padikkal for the work he put in on his backfoot game for the success in the first Test against Sri Lanka on Saturday. Addressing the media after the first day's play, Padikkal's unbeaten 131 took India to 288/2, Kotak said he was pleased that the Karnataka lad grabbed the chance when it came his way.
"I am so happy for him because he was actually waiting for his opportunity. The way he played here and in the warm-up match, it's really encouraging," Kotak said in the post-day press conference. "Preparation, I would say, overall the way Devdutt, was preparing and I saw it in the NCA (BCCI CoE).he was working on his back foot game. We try that when we expect a turn from a pitch. We also tried to work on step-out, sweep besides the back foot game. So, a lot of credit goes to him, the way he has prepared himself for the last couple of years," he added.
As mentioned by Kotak, Padikkal was using his backfoot predominantly while also charging at spinners when needed. His six off left-arm spinner Prabath Jayasuriya, stepping out and creaming over long-on, justified Kotak's observation.
With Padikkal's century, focus now shifts to the conversation about the No 3 spot. B Sai Sudharsan was the designated batter in the position before he was ruled out of the tour. "I think Devdutt batted really well. So Sai also has been batting really well at that number. But the thing is they all are new ball batsmen. So they open, they go number three, so, we are very flexible. But I would look at the way they bat, how they are adapting to conditions, how they are dealing with the different stages of a match, and that is very important for me rather than number three or four or five," he added.
Meanwhile, Kotak said KL Rahul, who had to walk off the field after a solid 77, was suffering from cramps. "KL batted really well. I think he was getting only cramps. So by the end of the day, he was fine. Probably once you start getting cramps, you get it in the hamstring, you get it in the groin, you get it in your hand. But at the moment he looks absolutely fine. So he should be good to go tomorrow," he said.