IND vs ENG - Devdutt Padikkal smashes a SIX to get his maiden half-century on debut

Devdutt Padikkal made his debut for Team India in Test cricket after Rajat Patidar was sidelined for this clash due to an injury to his left ankle. Padikkal surely made his debut count as he went on to smash his maiden 50 at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium in Dharamsala on Day 2 of the fifth and final Test match against England.

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In fact, to reach 50, Padikkal smashed a beautiful six. He raised his bat, looking unfazed, as he received thunderous applause from the dressing room and fans at the stadium. His innings (63 off 99 balls) included 10 fours and 1 maximum, which helped him achieve the half-century milestone.

As for the clash, India has scored 400 runs, losing four wickets in 91 overs, holding an 182-run lead. India, after a solid start, lost skipper Rohit Sharma (103) and Shubman Gill (110) in quick succession immediately after lunch, courtesy of Ben Stokes and James Anderson respectively. Sarfaraz Khan formed a strong partnership with Padikkal but had to depart after tea following his score of 56.

On Day 1, Yashasvi Jaiswal became the second-fastest Indian batsman to reach 1,000 Test runs, achieving this milestone in just 16 innings. He departed after scoring 57 runs.

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Before India's innings, England was bowled out for 218 runs, with Kuldeep Yadav claiming a five-wicket haul and R Ashwin securing four wickets in his 100th Test appearance. 

Zak Crawley was the sole batsman for the Three Lions, scoring 79 runs. Apart from him, no other batsman managed to surpass the 30-run mark. Contributions from Ben Duckett (27), Joe Root (26), Jonny Bairstow (29), and Ben Foakes (24) rounded up England's total.

Teams:

India (Playing XI): Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rohit Sharma(c), Shubman Gill, Devdutt Padikkal, Ravindra Jadeja, Sarfaraz Khan, Dhruv Jurel(w), Ravichandran Ashwin, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Jasprit Bumrah

England (Playing XI): Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Ben Stokes(c), Jonny Bairstow, Ben Foakes(w), Tom Hartley, Shoaib Bashir, Mark Wood, James Anderson