Devdutt Padikkal offered a surprisingly muted reaction to his milestone knock of 167 off 230 balls, which anchored India to a dominant 460/9 across three weather-affected days in Galle.
Devdutt Padikkal has no special plans to celebrate 167-run heroics
When questioned after the match about whether he intended to mark his maiden Test century with a major celebration, the left-hander brushed off the idea with characteristic calm, admitting he was simply too exhausted and planned to head straight to sleep.
“Not really. I’m tired, so I’m just going to go back to bed now," Padikkal said after Day 2 stumps.
Drafted into the XI only after Sai Sudharsan suffered an injury, Padikkal’s marathon effort has effectively made him indispensable at the number three spot. Reflecting on the breakthrough performance, he noted that the knock was the culmination of two years of intense preparation designed to ensure he made full use of his next international opening—a moment he had long envisioned and was thrilled to finally deliver. Padikkal’s commanding knock featured 15 boundaries and a maximum, defined by a masterclass in handling slow bowling.
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Addressing his strategy, the batter emphasized that countering spin successfully hinges on clear, pre-meditated scoring plans rather than pure reflex. He noted that the batting unit spent the past year developing tailored, strength-based scoring options to ensure players enter the middle ready to transfer pressure back onto the attack immediately.
Padikkal, Jurel steer India to commanding 460/9
Talking about the Day 2's play, India resumed at 288/2 intent on accelerating their scoring. While overnight centurion Padikkal maintained his steady rhythm, Rishabh Pant immediately signaled his intent by slamming Prabath Jayasuriya for a boundary. In response, Sri Lankan skipper Dhananjaya de Silva took the new ball, deploying a mix of seam and spin. The tactic paid off quickly: Pant sliced a lofted shot off Keshara Nuwantha to hand over his wicket, bringing KL Rahul back to the crease. Rahul’s stay proved short-lived as the debutant off-spinner extracted sharp turn and bounce to remove him for 82, though Padikkal continued unfazed at the other end, flicking Asitha Fernando for four to breach the 150-run mark.
Partnering with Dhruv Jurel, Padikkal began pushing for quicker runs before falling for a magnificent 167, stumped off Jayasuriya. Ravindra Jadeja entered next, matching the team's aggressive posture with proactive shot-making. Following Jadeja’s departure, Jurel picked up the mantle to push India past the 400-mark, launching Nuwantha over the ropes for a maximum. Joining forces with Manav Suthar, Jurel kept the scoreboard ticking rapidly until an edged defense off Jayasuriya was sensationally held by De Silva at first slip, ending his brisk 51. Mohammed Siraj added a brief, entertaining cameo featuring a towering six before India's tail was cleaned up, leaving the visitors confident that their imposing total will keep them in firm control of the Test.