Padikkal’s Second Straight Ton Hands India the Initiative in Colombo

Some batters announce themselves with one big inning. Devdutt Padikkal is doing it match after match. On the opening day of the second Test against Sri Lanka at the Sinhalese Sports Club Ground in Colombo, the young number three walked out under pressure, survived a shaky start, and then simply refused to give his wicket away. By the time he was done, he had 117 to his name off 193 balls, and India were sitting pretty at 300 for 5 at stumps.

This was not a one off. Padikkal had already scored 167 in the first Test at Galle, an innings that earned him the Player of the Match award as India won by 165 runs. Two Tests, two centuries, 328 runs in the series so far. That kind of consistency does not happen by accident, and it is quickly turning Padikkal into one of the most reliable names in India’s Test batting order.

How the Day Unfolded in Colombo

India chose to bat first after winning the toss, and the top order got things moving with intent. Yashasvi Jaiswal played a brisk knock of 45 before departing, and captain Shubman Gill followed up with a well made half century. Gill and Padikkal then put together a crucial partnership worth 120 runs, exactly the kind of platform a side needs when batting first away from home.

Ravindra Jadeja chipped in with 43 further down the order, though India did suffer a scare late in the day when Rishabh Pant retired hurt after being struck on the wrist by pacer Lahiru Kumara. Despite that setback, the tourists closed the day in a position of real strength, with Dhruv Jurel and Saransh Jain both unbeaten at stumps and the platform already laid by Padikkal’s innings.

The Rocky Start That Almost Wasn’t

What made Padikkal’s century even more impressive was how it began. He walked in early after India lost a wicket, and immediately had to deal with a disciplined new-ball attack that was getting movement off the surface. For those following sport betting in exchange markets, his early reprieves could have been a key turning point, with Sri Lanka missing opportunities to put India under greater pressure.

Instead of letting those reprieves rattle him, Padikkal did the opposite. He tightened his defence, cut out the risky shots, and slowly built his innings back up until he was fully in control. It is the kind of response that separates batters who are simply talented from batters who are also mentally tough, and Padikkal showed plenty of the latter in Colombo.

A Special Milestone in Sri Lanka

There is extra context to this innings beyond the series. This was Padikkal’s second Test century in Sri Lanka specifically, a feat that puts him alongside some serious company. He now shares the mark for most Test hundreds in Sri Lanka among Indian batters with names like Virat Kohli, Mohammad Azharuddin, Ajinkya Rahane, Navjot Sidhu, and Vinod Kambli, all of whom also have two centuries in the country. Only Virender Sehwag, Shikhar Dhawan, and Cheteshwar Pujara sit ahead with three apiece, while Sachin Tendulkar leads the way with five. For a batter still establishing himself in the format, being mentioned in that list says a lot.

Why Padikkal’s Form Matters for India’s No. 3 Spot

India’s number three position has been something of a revolving door in recent years, and Padikkal’s back to back tons could finally settle the debate. His approach at the crease blends patience with the ability to accelerate when the bowling loosens up, exactly what the role demands. Watching him bat, there is a calmness that suggests he is not just filling a gap, he is building a long term case to own that position.

His dismissal, bowled by off spinner Keshara Nuwantha with a delivery that spun away sharply late in the day, hinted at what might be coming on Day 2. The Colombo surface began showing signs of turn as the day progressed, which gave Sri Lanka’s spinners hope of making inroads into India’s lower order. If spin becomes a bigger factor as the Test wears on, the value of the runs Padikkal has already put on the board will only grow.

Big individual performances like this one tend to stick in a team’s history books, much the way certain innings have defined entire rivalries over the years. If you enjoy revisiting cricket’s most memorable clashes, our roundup of the greatest Ashes moments is worth a read alongside this one, especially for how it shows the way a single innings can shift the balance of an entire series.

What Comes Next for India

With 300 runs already on the board and wickets in hand, India head into Day 2 in firm control. The focus now shifts to extending the total and giving the bowlers enough runs to work with on a pitch that is expected to offer increasing assistance to spin as the match progresses. Pant’s injury will be one to monitor, but with Jurel and Jain unbeaten, India still have the batting depth to push the score well past 350.

For Sri Lanka, containing India’s lower order early on Day 2 becomes essential if they want to keep the game competitive. But after the way Padikkal built his innings on Day 1, absorbing pressure, riding his luck, and cashing in without ever losing shape, India will fancy their chances of taking a strong grip on this Test and the series along with it.

Frequently Asked Questions

(i) How many runs did Devdutt Padikkal score in the second Test against Sri Lanka? Padikkal scored 117 runs off 193 balls, including 12 boundaries, on Day 1 of the second Test in Colombo.

(ii) Is this Padikkal’s first century of the series? No, it is his second straight century of the two-match series. He scored 167 in the first Test at Galle, where he was named Player of the Match as India won by 165 runs.

(iii) What was India’s score at the end of Day 1 in Colombo? India ended Day 1 at 300 for 5, with Dhruv Jurel and Saransh Jain unbeaten at stumps.

(iv) Who dismissed Devdutt Padikkal in Colombo? Off spinner Keshara Nuwantha dismissed Padikkal with a delivery that turned away sharply late in the day.

(v) Did any Indian batter get injured during the innings? Yes, Rishabh Pant retired hurt after being struck on the wrist by Sri Lankan pacer Lahiru Kumara.

(vi) Where does Padikkal now rank among Indian centurions in Sri Lanka? With two Test centuries in Sri Lanka, Padikkal joins Virat Kohli, Mohammad Azharuddin, Ajinkya Rahane, Navjot Sidhu, and Vinod Kambli on the list, behind only Sehwag, Dhawan, and Pujara with three each, and Tendulkar with five.