Devdutt Padikkal scores second Test century despite early dropped catches in Colombo

Devdutt Padikkal reached his second Test century against Sri Lanka in Colombo, converting two early dropped catches into a commanding innings that underlined his credentials at number three. The left-hander brought up the three-figure mark by clipping a full ball from Prabath Jayasuriya to long on for a single, raising his bat to applause from the Indian contingent in the dressing room. The milestone came after he had been dropped twice, on 0 by Sonal Dinusha and on 1 by Dhananjaya de Silva, before playing what observers described as a "flawless brand of cricket" through the remainder of his stay. Back-foot mastery on display Padikkal's ability to score through the off-side proved particularly effective, with his back-foot game emerging as one of the standout features of the series. He repeatedly exploited width offered by the Sri Lankan spinners, backing away to create room and cutting deliveries through point and cover for boundaries. One such shot saw him hammer a short, wide delivery from Jayasuriya through point to move to 95, before consecutive fours brought him within touching distance of the century. The 23-year-old also demonstrated control against fuller deliveries, using the reverse sweep and conventional strokes to rotate strike and maintain momentum. As he neared the landmark, he added two runs with a late dab past first slip off Kamil Mishara to reach 91, showing composure under pressure. Partnership steadies India in final session Padikkal's innings formed the backbone of India's steady progress in the final session of Day 1, during which the visitors added 62 runs without loss across 17 overs. He was supported by Ravindra Jadeja, who remained unbeaten on 29 off 43 balls after navigating a testing spell from Lahiru Kumara. The pair appeared intent on pushing India past the 300-mark before stumps. However, Padikkal's innings eventually ended when he dragged a delivery from Keshara Nuwantha onto his stumps, leaving India at 281 for 4 in 76.2 overs. His dismissal provided Sri Lanka with a breakthrough after their attack had looked "really out of ideas" during his occupation of the crease. The knock has strengthened the case that India have found a reliable option at number three, a position that has long troubled the side. Padikkal's habit of converting starts into substantial scores has now yielded promising returns across the tour.

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A pair of late wickets in the final hour gave Sri Lanka a glimmer of hope at stumps on day one, but India finished in a commanding position at 300 for five after winning the toss and choosing to bat in Colombo. Devdutt Padikkal's second Test century anchored the innings, supported by a half-century from Shubman Gill, though the hosts chipped away steadily as the day progressed.

Padikkal's dismissal finally arrived through something special from debutant off-spinner Keshara Nuwantha, who extracted sharp turn and pace at 91 kph to beat the left-hander's outside edge and crash into off stump. The 101-run knock had been near faultless after those early reprieves, with Padikkal showing total control and rarely offering a chance. Upon reaching three figures, he accelerated the scoring with aggressive cuts off the stumps, but his attempt to manufacture room ultimately led to his downfall.

Ravindra Jadeja then fell to Asitha Fernando's perfect in-seamer that trapped him leaving the ball alone, the off stump pegged back as the new ball worked its magic. Jadeja had earlier battled through cramps and lingering discomfort from a blow to his left arm, but compiled a brisk 32 off 47 balls in a 66-run partnership with Padikkal before departing. Debutant Saransh Jain arrived at the crease and immediately cut his first delivery to the boundary to bring up India's 300.

Rishabh Pant had earlier retired hurt after copping a painful blow near his left wrist from Lahiru Kumara, whose brief spell with the old ball injected venom into proceedings with sharp bouncers and deliveries consistently in the high 130s. Sri Lanka will be eager to wrap up the Indian tail quickly on day two, when batting conditions at the SSC typically reach their peak, while India aim to build a total large enough to bat just once.