Not Devdutt Padikkal or Manav Suthar, R Ashwin picks Prasidh Krishna as Team India's standout from SL vs IND 2026 Tests

Former India off-spinner R Ashwin has identified Prasidh Krishna as the single most encouraging outcome for Team India from the two-match Test series against Sri Lanka, placing the 30-year-old pacer above both Devdutt Padikkal and Manav Suthar in his post-series assessment.

Prasidh, who represents Gujarat Titans in the IPL, claimed seven wickets at an average of 24.57 across the series. He ended as the fifth-highest wicket-taker overall and the second-highest among the pace bowlers, a contribution that carried added weight given that Jasprit Bumrah had been ruled out of the Tests after sustaining a knee injury during the ODI series in England.

"If I was in the Indian dressing room and thinking, the biggest positive for me in the series was Prasidh Krishna, and then Manav Suthar's performance in the first Test would be the second biggest positive. In many ways, you could even say Dhruv Jurel, but the way Prasidh Krishna came in, he has given a really good account of himself in this Test series. It is a tough challenge for a bowler in the subcontinent, and he did really well," Ashwin said, speaking on his YouTube channel.

Why did Ashwin rate Prasidh Krishna so highly?

Ashwin's assessment was shaped largely by the conditions Prasidh had to operate in. Bowling pace in the subcontinent demands a different skill set, and Prasidh arrived in Sri Lanka with limited experience of those surfaces, having played only one Test on home soil before this tour, the one-off fixture against Afghanistan held in Chandigarh.

He also delivered at a critical moment in the first Test, breaking a partnership between Sonal Dinusha and Niroshan Dickwella to help India reassert control. Ashwin placed Manav Suthar's debut Test showing as the second-most significant development, while also acknowledging Dhruv Jurel as a contender, reflecting the depth of young talent that emerged under captain Shubman Gill across the series.

What did Ashwin say about Devdutt Padikkal's prospects?

Padikkal was the series' most productive batter, scoring hundreds in two of his three innings to earn the player of the series award. Even so, Ashwin's primary focus remained on Prasidh, whose pace bowling contribution was viewed as the less expected and therefore more significant development from a team-building standpoint. Ashwin also turned his attention to the upcoming India tour of New Zealand, where two Tests are scheduled between November 19 and December 1, with Wellington and Christchurch as the host venues. He argued that Padikkal had done enough to lock down the number three position for that assignment.

"Devdutt Padikkal has to start as the No.3 batter for India in New Zealand. What more can he do? He has scored runs in first-class cricket, and he was waiting for his chance. In fact, he is now ahead of Sai Sudharsan. Even if Sai Sudharsan was fit, Devdutt should have gotten the nod. He's now put the No.3 debate to bed. My concern is that now that he has 2 hundreds in Sri Lanka, it should not happen that he edges one in New Zealand and gets judged immediately," Ashwin said.