# Padikkal stakes claim for India’s No.3 spot after Sri Lanka ton 2026-08-20T05:35:53+00:00 | Sports | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 2 independent outlets Devdutt Padikkal has strengthened his case for India's Test No.3 position after scoring 167 and 44 in the Galle Test against Sri Lanka, helping India win by 165 runs. The Karnataka batter replaced Tamil Nadu's Sai Sudharsan, who was ruled out of the series with a toe injury. Gulf News argues Padikkal should be preferred over Sudharsan for the role, citing his domestic record. M9.News quotes former India batter Aakash Chopra calling Padikkal a proper player with first-class experience and a sound technique, but warns that the real tests will come against New Zealand and Australia in the coming months. ## Indian Opinion Analysis Both outlets agree Padikkal has seized his opportunity, but differ in urgency. Gulf News pushes for a permanent shift to Padikkal now, while M9.News, quoting Aakash Chopra, frames the Sri Lanka series as a promising start with harder tests ahead. Neither outlet engages deeply with Sudharsan's credentials, leaving the selection debate one-sided. A careful reader should note that while Padikkal has impressed, the sample is one series against a weakened Sri Lanka side. The upcoming New Zealand and Australia series will provide a clearer verdict on who should own the No.3 spot. ## Coverage Coverage: 2 sources, 1 neutral, 1 sensationalist - gulfnews.com (sensationalist) Leads with an opinion advocating Padikkal over Sudharsan, framing it as a decisive choice. - m9.news (neutral report) Reports Padikkal's performance and Chopra's cautious optimism without taking a side. This story was synthesised by AI from the 2 sources linked above. Updated: this story now draws on 2 sources. Last updated 2026-08-21T17:36:06+00:00. Tags: B. Sai Sudarshan, BCCI, Devdutt Padikkal, India cricket team, Ranji Trophy, Test cricket Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/why-padikkal-should-be-indias-test-no-3-batter/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/why-padikkal-should-be-indias-test-no-3-batter/#story-in-brief How this brief was made: an AI model read the reports linked above and wrote this summary and analysis, which were published automatically. Published briefs are sampled every hour by an automated quality check; the editor verifies its findings and approves corrections, and corrected briefs carry a dated correction line. Stance labels are editorial classifications of how each outlet framed this story, assigned by the same model, not ratings of the outlets. We do no original reporting. Methodology: https://indianopinion.org/ai-use-policy/