Hopping across the Palk Strait, Devdutt Padikkal has found his groove. In the warm-up fixture in Colombo, he cracked an unbeaten 142, and once he moved to Sri Lanka’s southern coast, a splendid maiden Test hundred was essayed. “I am so happy for him. He was waiting for this opportunity and the way he played was really encouraging,” India’s batting coach Sitanshu Kotak said.

Talking to the media after the conclusion of the first Test’s opening day in Galle on Saturday (August 16, 2026), Kotak offered his appraisal of Padikkal: “When I was at the NCA, he was working on his initial movement; he also worked on his back foot game. When we expect there will be turn, we try and work on stepping-out, sweep or back-foot game. A lot of credit goes to him.”

Asked specifically if Padikkal’s ton has erased India’s worries over the number three slot, Kotak said: “He batted well; Sai (Sudarshan) too has batted well at that number. But the thing is, they are all new batters. We are flexible in a way. Mainly, I would look at the way they bat, about how they are adapting to conditions, how they are dealing with the different stages. How they bat is important to me more than the number they bat at.”

Kotak termed the pitch as dry and explained: “When we saw the wicket, we felt that it is on the drier side. And there is no doubt that it is on the drier side. 288 for two is a good sign for us but it is just one day and we have a long way to go. I don’t think it will crack but I think it will spin more as the game progresses. The overall record shows that as the game progresses (at Galle), the average return of the batters goes down noticeably.”

K.L. Rahul’s adaptability was also lauded and Kotak said: “In Tests he opens, in limited overs cricket he comes in at five or six. He is flexible that way and in a young team when a senior like him plays well, it always helps. He takes responsibility, builds partnerships and is consistent.”

And as for Yashasvi Jaiswal’s run out, Kotak clarified: “It is just that KL stopped halfway. Jaiswal got up and took one step. And that’s why probably that misunderstanding happened. But these things happen and it is unfortunate.”

India batting coach Sitanshu Kotak threw his weight behind swashbuckling opener Abhishek Sharma, who finds himself under the cosh after failing to open his account in his first two outings in the ongoing T20 World Cup.

While there are claims about Abhishek’s vulnerability on the off-side, Kotak said that getting into the minutiae with the 25-year-old would be counterproductive.

“We don’t overanalyse unnecessarily. Sometimes, you only start making more assumptions than the opposition. He has his plans sorted,” the former Saurashtra batter explained on the eve of the match against the Netherlands at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.

That Pakistan head coach Mike Hesson had been planning for three days how to dismiss Abhishek was a feather in the Indian batter’s cap, according to Kotak.

“Credit to Abhishek that they are so concerned about him. They could have planned to get him out early, but I don’t think they could have planned that he would get out at mid-on,” he quipped.

Pakistan had prepared for the threat of Abhishek, but Ishan Kishan came out of the syllabus to hammer Salman Agha’s men into submission.

Kishan, returning to the National set-up after more than two years in the wilderness, has undergone a stunning career rejuvenation following a tough period when he lost his BCCI central contract.

“He is not someone who cares too much about things, which the T20 game requires. He is very talented because he can play all around the ground, so he is very difficult to restrict if you don’t get him out,” Kotak said.

The coach also defended Tilak Varma’s 24-ball 25 vigil, during which the southpaw looked tentative against the Pakistan spinners.

“Tilak played exactly the way the team wanted. Considering the wicket, we were more focused on building partnerships and getting to the par score, around 160”.