RCB batter celebrates milestone against Australia A before India's upcoming home Test season
The star player of the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) has celebrated a milestone against Australia A before India's upcoming home Test series against West Indies and South Africa.
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The left-handed batter of the Karnataka side, Devdutt Padikkal, has recorded a fine comeback during the ongoing first unofficial Test between India A and Australia ahead of the upcoming home Test season, where the Blue Brigade will feature in a couple of two-match Test series against West Indies and South Africa, to earn vital points in the World Test Championship (WTC) 2025-27.
Padikkal resumed the fourth and final day for India A on an unbeaten 86 runs at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow. He took only 20 deliveries to celebrate the century on the morning as the Shreyas Iyer-led side was closing the margin to Australia’s mammoth first-innings total of 532/6.
The 25-year-old left-hander made his debut in just his second competitive game since the end of the 2025 season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) when the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) became the champions for the very first time in the history of the tournament. That will be a huge confidence booster for the left-handed batter ahead of the home series.
Watch: Devdutt Padikkal celebrates fine century against Australia A in Lucknow
Padikkal returned to action during the 2025 season of the Duleep Trophy at the BCCI Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru, where the left-handed batter clubbed 57 runs in the first innings before remaining unbeaten for 16 runs in the second innings of the clash for the South Zone against the North Zone. It was his seventh first-class century as he scored 90 runs in three Test innings for India.
Apart from that, Dhruv Jurel also contributed with 140 runs in 197 balls at a strike rate of 70 with the help of 13 boundaries and four sixes. Both Sai Sudharsan and Narayan Jagadeesan celebrated their respective half-centuries to cross their 450-run mark.
Australia, in the first innings, drilled 532/6 in 98 overs, thanks to 109 runs from Sam Konstas, while Josh Phillippie remained unbeaten on 123 runs in just 87 balls at a strike rate of more than 140 with 18 boundaries and four sixes.
Match Scorecard till Day 4 morning session-
India A- 474/5 (Dhruv Jurel 140, Devdutt Padikkal 118*, Liam Scott 1/31) trail Australia A- 532/6 dec (Josh Phillipie 123*, Sam Konstas 109, Harsh Dubey 3/141) by 58 runs.
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