New Delhi, Aug. 22 -- Former Indian cricketer Mohammed Kaif said that the left-handed batter Devdutt Padikkal has made a strong case for himself as India's number three, saying that Padikkal's impact could help skipper Shubman Gill and his hopes for the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) final.

In the absence of number three Sai Sudharsan, Padikkal made a massive leap towards grabbing that spot, scoring a well-paced 167 off 230 balls in the first innings on a spin-friendly surface at Galle against Sri Lanka, following it with a crucial 44-run knock in the second innings, which helped India seal a 165-run win. In only his third Test, Padikkal won the 'Player of the Match'.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Kaif said that within a span of o...