Devdutt Padikkal Reveals How 'Words' From Dravid 'Helped' Him Score Debut Test Fifty Against England

Winning wholesome praise from pundits and fans after coming up with a polished hand in his debut inning in the ongoing fifth Test against England, Devdutt Padikkal on Friday revealed the golden word of advice he received from head coach Rahul Dravid after he received his India cap from veteran Ravi Ashwin on Day 1. The elegant southpaw, who managed to translate his form for Karnataka this Ranji season into runs in his debut Test, said the words of encouragement he received from coach Dravid after earning his India Test cap helped him to construct a neat and nerveless debut fifty on Day 2 of the Dharamshala Test.
Making an impression with his composed demeanour, combined with the lazy elegance of a southpaw, Padikkal stroked a fine 65 off 103 deliveries, an innings studded with 10 four and a six.

Showing no nerves on the crease and growing in confidence with every single he ran and every boundary he stroked, Padikkal raised a 97-run stand with Sarfaraz Khan, steadying the hosts after skipper Rohit Sharma and Shubhman Gill fell in quick succession in the post-Lunch session.

Revealing how Dravid words helped him fight off nerves and play with freedom in his debut Test, Padikkal, in a pitchside interview after the end of the day's play at the HPCA stadium on Day 2, said, "Rahul Sir mentioned: 'in the first 10-15 minutes you will have nerves, but go out and enjoy it'. Those words definitely helped me. I felt we could have batted a bit better, could have carried on a bit better in the last session."

During his stay at the crease, the lanky Karnataka batter creamed some pleasing boundaries in between some lucky edges, settling nerves in the dressing room after the fall of two quick wickets.

"I just wanted to be ready (talking