Devdutt Padikkal etched his name into Indian cricket folklore by becoming only the sixth Indian batter to register centuries in consecutive Test matches on Sri Lankan soil. Following his commanding maiden hundred (167) in the series opener at Galle, Padikkal struck another excellent century in the second Test at the Sinhalese Sports Club (SSC) in Colombo, putting India firmly in the driver’s seat.
After Sunday’s century, the 26-year-old Padikkal became the sixth Indian cricketer after Vinod Kambli, Sachin Tendulkar, Mohammad Azharuddin, Shikhar Dhawan and Cheteshwar Pujara to score centuries in back-to-back Tests in Sri Lanka.
The elegant left-hander later fell for 117 (193 balls, 12 fours), anchoring India’s innings after early setbacks and a solid partnership with captain Shubman Gill. India finished the day in a strong position at 300/5, with Padikkal’s patient, controlled knock providing the foundation.
Player Runs Venue Start Date India: Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Devdutt Padikkal, Shubman Gill (captain), Rishabh Pant (wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Dhruv Jurel, Saransh Jain, Manav Suthar, Mohammed Siraj, and Prasidh Krishna Sri Lanka: Lahiru Udara, Kamil Mishara, Pasindu Sooriyabandara, Kamindu Mendis, Dhananjaya de Silva (captain), Sonal Dinusha, Niroshan Dickwella (wk), Keshara Nuwantha, Prabath Jayasuriya, Lahiru Kumara, and Asitha Fernando
