India, Aug. 29 -- Devdutt Padikkal made the most of his opportunity in the Sri Lanka Tests, capping a fine run with the Player of the Series award. Coming in for the injured Sai Sudharsan after a strong domestic season with Karnataka, Padikkal carried that form into international cricket. He finished the series with 328 runs in three innings at an average of 109.33, including two centuries and a highest score of 167. His consistent performances across both Tests made him one of India's standout batters and underlined how well he grabbed his chance when it came his way.

Former India batter 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. However, h...