Devdutt Padikkal struck a superb maiden Test century as India dominated Sri Lanka on the opening day of the first Test at the Galle International Stadium on Saturday, reaching 288/2 in 73 overs before bad light and rain brought play to an early close.
Padikkal, playing his first Test since November 2024, remained unbeaten on 131 off 178 balls, hitting 12 fours and a six. Rishabh Pant was unbeaten on 27 off 36 balls at stumps.
India, playing their 600th Test, won the toss and elected to bat. Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul provided a steady start before an unfortunate mix-up ended Jaiswal’s innings.
Jaiswal was run out for 32 off 37 balls in the 11th over after he slipped while attempting a single. Both batters ended up at the same end, with Rahul making his ground first. Jaiswal’s dismissal left India at 54/1.
Padikkal, promoted to No. 3 in place of the injured Sai Sudharsan, then joined Rahul and the pair took control of the innings. They added 150 runs for the second wicket, frustrating Sri Lanka’s bowlers with disciplined strokeplay and confident running between the wickets.
Padikkal brought up his half-century in 81 balls, while Rahul reached his fifty in 127 deliveries. India went into lunch at 101/1, with Rahul unbeaten on 32 and Padikkal on 48.
The partnership continued to flourish in the second session as Sri Lanka struggled to extract significant movement or turn from the surface. Padikkal used his feet effectively against the spinners and repeatedly found gaps in the field, while Rahul remained composed at the other end.
By tea, India had moved to 197/1, with Padikkal unbeaten on 84 and Rahul on 77. Rahul, however, was forced to retire hurt in the final session after suffering severe cramps.
Captain Shubman Gill joined Padikkal and India crossed the 200-run mark in the 54th over. Padikkal then shifted gears, striking Lahiru Kumara for consecutive boundaries before completing his maiden Test century in 134 balls, including nine fours and a six at the time.
His hundred made him the first Indian left-hander since Sourav Ganguly in 2002 to score a Test century at No. 3. It was also the first century by an Indian batter at the position since Gill scored one against Bangladesh in Chennai in September 2024.
Gill added two boundaries before Sri Lankan left-arm spinner Prabath Jayasuriya dismissed him for 16. Gill attempted to advance down the pitch and loft the ball but sliced it towards mid-off, leaving India at 236/2.
Pant then adopted an aggressive approach against the Sri Lankan spinners, hitting Jayasuriya for a six and a four before finding boundaries against Keshara Nuwantha. He and Padikkal added an unbeaten 52-run partnership for the third wicket.
A brief rain interruption halted play for around 20 minutes, but Padikkal and Pant resumed their assault after the restart. Padikkal continued to find boundaries through sweeps and pulls, while Pant kept the pressure on the Sri Lankan attack.
Bad light eventually forced the umpires to call off play with 17 overs still remaining in the scheduled day’s play.
India will resume on Sunday with Padikkal on 131 and Pant on 27, looking to build a substantial first-innings total and put further pressure on the hosts.
Brief scores: India 288/2 in 73 overs (Devdutt Padikkal 131*, KL Rahul 77 retired hurt, Rishabh Pant 27*) vs Sri Lanka.
(With agency inputs)
