Devdutt Padikkal posts century in Colombo after 167 in Galle to strengthen claim at No. 3
Devdutt Padikkal scored a century at the Sinhalese Sports Club in Colombo on Sunday in India's two-Test series against Sri Lanka, following a 167 in Galle earlier in the series. The left-hander’s hundred came in the second Test and represented back-to-back centuries across the two matches.
Six innings into his Test career, Padikkal has produced consecutive big scores and is increasingly being trusted at No. 3 for India. He reached his hundred off 168 balls, striking 10 boundaries, and acknowledged a standing ovation from the Indian dressing room. Padikkal arrived at the crease with India 37/1 in the 11th over, added 29 with Yashasvi Jaiswal and then combined with captain Shubman Gill for a 120-run third-wicket partnership.
Padikkal moved to his fifty from 90 deliveries and was unbeaten on 63 at tea, having established a controlled base before accelerating his strokeplay. After the interval he maintained the same measured approach, taking advantage of drives through the off side, authoritative pulls and sharp cuts. Two crisp cuts moved him from 91 to 99, and he nudged a single to long-on to complete the century without any late nervousness.
Sri Lanka missed two chances early in Padikkal’s innings — a drop off the first ball faced and a further reprieve on 1 — opportunities the batsman capitalised on. Rishabh Pant had to retire hurt on 3 after suffering a blow to his wrist, leaving Padikkal to rebuild the innings with Ravindra Jadeja. The pair added an unbeaten half-century stand, stabilising India after Pant’s exit and preserving the team’s momentum.
Padikkal’s series figures already read impressively: he made 167 and 44 in Galle before adding another hundred in Colombo. Across four Tests and six innings he has surpassed 400 Test runs while carrying an average above 75, with four scores of 50 or more comprising two hundreds and two fifties.
A significant portion of Padikkal’s Test production has come away from home, with more than 300 runs recorded overseas; both centuries and one of his fifties have been scored outside India. The Colombo hundred was the 11th of his first-class career.
At first-class level Padikkal has appeared in 58 matches and 96 innings, compiling more than 4,100 runs at an average above 45 and registering 21 fifties. Those numbers and his recent back-to-back Test hundreds have, according to the match coverage, cemented his status as India’s Test No. 3.
