Devdutt Padikkal recorded his second consecutive Test hundred against Sri Lanka on the opening day of the second Test in Colombo on Sunday. The batter reached three figures for India, adding to the 167 he had scored in the opening Test at Galle.
Padikkal's hundred came with the side having already lost a pair of top-order wickets. His approach was measured and unhurried, as he accumulated runs steadily while the team aimed to post a substantial first-innings score.
Following the toss, which Shubman Gill called correctly, India chose to bat first. Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul walked out to open the batting together, yet the two were unable to build a substantial stand. Jaiswal's wicket fell early, handing Sri Lanka their opening breakthrough. Rahul's innings also came to an end after an encouraging start, with the batter having added runs to India's total.
Gill and Padikkal then batted together, sharing a 120-run stand for the third wicket. Gill brought up his fifty off 108 balls, hitting six fours during the knock. Having reached his fifty, he was dismissed shortly afterwards, edging behind off the bowling of Asitha Fernando with Niroshan Dickwella completing the catch. Gill's wicket fell shortly before the tea interval, leaving India on 187 for three.
Padikkal had accumulated 63 runs at that point. He extended his stay at the crease, batting with composure and control against the Sri Lankan attack, and reached three figures in an innings of patience and precision. Padikkal became the first Indian batsman on this tour to register hundreds in back-to-back Test matches, reaching the milestone with his latest three-figure score. His score of 167 at Galle had been the top contribution to India's first innings in that opening Test, a match they went on to win by 165 runs.
Rishabh Pant walked out to bat following Gill's exit but was unable to build a meaningful stay at the wicket. He left the field to receive medical attention after sustaining a batting injury. Pant's departure left India without a key middle-order option, though the full nature of the injury remained unclear at the time.
The team was further affected by the unavailability of Kuldeep Yadav, who sat out the Test having not fully recovered from a viral infection. Saransh Jain, aged 33, stepped into the role and earned his first Test cap for India. Jain was presented with his Test cap ahead of the opening session, earning a place in the national squad following an extensive career on the domestic circuit.
At stumps, India had posted 300 runs with five wickets down.
