Devdutt Padikkal made an impressive return to Test cricket as he remained unbeaten on 131 to help India finish the opening day of the first Test against Sri Lanka at 288/2 in Galle on Saturday.
Padikkal, who last played a Test for India against Australia in Perth in 2024, showed how much he has developed as a batter since then. He brought up his maiden international century from 134 balls and looked in complete control for most of his innings.
Rishabh Pant was unbeaten on 27 at the end of the day, with the pair adding 52 runs for the third wicket.
Rahul, Padikkal Put Together 150-Run Stand
Before retiring hurt with cramps, KL Rahul scored a patient 77 off 162 balls. He and Padikkal shared a 150-run partnership for the second wicket, keeping Sri Lanka under pressure for a large part of the day.
Padikkal was the more aggressive of the two. He started quickly, with his first 20 runs coming at almost a run-a-ball, before settling into a more controlled approach.
The left-hander faced a challenge from Sri Lanka debutant Keshara Nuwantha, who was brought into the attack soon after Padikkal arrived at the crease.
Nuwantha managed to get an outside edge from Padikkal, but the ball fell short of the lone slip fielder. Padikkal quickly moved on from the mistake and hit the off-spinner for a boundary.
He also took on Sri Lanka’s experienced left-arm spinner Prabath Jayasuriya. After reaching his half-century from 81 balls, Padikkal stepped down the track and hit Jayasuriya for a six over long-on. He then followed it up with a well-timed boundary through the covers.
Rahul Holds Firm At The Other End
While Padikkal kept the scoreboard moving, Rahul played his usual patient game.
The opener reached his half-century from 127 balls and largely kept the Sri Lankan bowlers at bay. He did produce a few attacking shots, including a beautifully timed straight six off Jayasuriya.
Rahul had some uncomfortable moments against Lahiru Kumara early in his innings, with the Sri Lankan pacer using his pace to trouble the India batter.
However, Rahul and Padikkal continued to build their partnership.
Rain Break Fails To Stop India
The Indian batters also had to deal with a long interruption, with rain keeping them off the field for around an hour and 20 minutes before the second session.
Despite the lengthy break, India returned without losing momentum. Sri Lanka struggled to find a way to break the partnership, with the Indian batters looking comfortable on a good batting surface.
Rahul eventually had to leave the field in the final session after suffering cramps.
Padikkal Completes Maiden Test Century
Padikkal also had to deal with the heat and dehydration towards the end of the day, but he remained focused.
His century came as a reward for a strong run of form. He had scored 142 for the Sri Lanka Cricket XI in a warm-up game in Colombo last week, and that innings strengthened his case for a place in the Indian XI.
Padikkal got his opportunity after B. Sai Sudharsan failed to recover from a toe injury, and he made the most of it in Galle.
He looked comfortable against both pace and spin and played a wide range of shots, including sweeps, punches, drives and shots behind square.
The moment he had been waiting for finally arrived when he pushed Lahiru Kumara towards mid-off and completed the single needed for his maiden Test century.
Sri Lanka Get Two Wickets
Sri Lanka eventually managed to pick up their second wicket when Jayasuriya dismissed India captain Shubman Gill for 16.
Jayasuriya flighted the ball and managed to deceive Gill, who went for a lofted shot but failed to get enough elevation. Lahiru Udara took the catch inside the circle.
Earlier in the day, Yashasvi Jaiswal was run out for 32 after an unfortunate mix-up with Rahul.
Jaiswal had lost his balance following a collision with Nuwantha, and the confusion between the two Indian batters ended with Jaiswal being run out.
Apart from those two moments, Sri Lanka found very little success against India’s batters.
The pitch offered good bounce and remained easy to bat on, while India’s batters showed enough skill and patience to keep the hosts under pressure throughout the opening day.