Ajinkya Rahane backs Devdutt Padikkal for New Zealand Test challenge

Ajinkya Rahane was impressed by Padikkal's impact in Sri Lanka and felt the batter had done enough to temporarily secure his place at No. 3. Rahane praised Padikkal's back-to-back centuries in the Sri Lanka Test series and assessed his readiness for the middle order role. The former India captain believes Padikkal has shown the temperament required for the position.

Devdutt Padikkal's assured batting at number three is the biggest gain from the series, while Manav Suthar has made a strong case to take over the baton from Ravindra Jadeja as the team's lead Test spinner for the next decade. Padikkal was left with a tattoo on his back of his name and jersey number after fielding for hours every day under testing weather conditions during the series.

Series victory over Sri Lanka fails to mask grey areas as India prepares for daunting challenges ahead. The tour exposed a thinning spin cupboard despite the success. Padikkal blossomed in the Emerald Isle while Jurel showed his worth and Prasidh hit his stride.