199 and Out! Devdutt Padikkal’s Double Century Dream Ends in Controversy
Facing pacer Zak Gibson, Padikkal looked to flick a delivery drifting down the leg side. The ball clipped his thigh pad on the way to the wicketkeeper, yet the finger went up. With no DRS available to save him, a visibly livid Padikkal pointed to his pad before trudging back. His marathon 248-ball knock laced with 24 crisp boundaries and three sixes deserved a far better ending.
XtraTime Webdesk: One run. That is all that stood between Devdutt Padikkal and a richly deserved maiden overseas first-class double century. Instead, the tall left-hander dragged himself off the Bert Sutcliffe Oval in Lincoln on 199, shaking his head in disbelief after a shocking umpiring howler cut short a masterclass on Day 3 of the first unofficial Test against New Zealand A.
Facing pacer Zak Gibson, Padikkal looked to flick a delivery drifting down the leg side. The ball clipped his thigh pad on the way to the wicketkeeper, yet the finger went up. With no DRS available to save him, a visibly livid Padikkal pointed to his pad before trudging back. His marathon 248-ball knock laced with 24 crisp boundaries and three sixes deserved a far better ending.
Still, the personal heartbreak cannot overshadow what his innings achieved for the team. After India A were bundled out for a paltry 113 on the opening day and conceded a massive first-innings deficit of over 200 runs, the visitors needed someone to dig deep. Padikkal did just that, stitching together crucial partnerships with Sai Sudharsan and an aggressive Yash Rathod (66 off 72) to flip the match on its head.
By stumps on Day 3, India A had piled up a commanding 488/8 in their second dig, stretching their lead to 288 runs. He may have been robbed of a milestone by a trigger-happy finger, but Padikkal has turned a looming defeat into a winning position.
