SL vs IND 2026: 'Devdutt Padikkal god sent for India' - Sanjay Manjrekar hails left-hander after maiden Test hundred

Devdutt Padikkal marked Day 1 of the Galle Test on August 15, 2026 with a maiden Test century, batting at No. 3 for India against Sri Lanka.

The Karnataka left-hander reached his hundred off 134 balls and had moved to 107 off 147 balls by the time Rishabh Pant joined him at the crease, with India on 237 for 2 after 62 overs. Former Indian cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar hailed the youngster for his game sense against spin in a tricky pitch while the Indian setup were under scrutiny for the performance against spinners.

"Devdutt Padikkal god sent for India v spinners. Excellent technique, both in defence & attack," wrote Manjrekar on X.

Padikkal and Rahul's second-wicket stand

Padikkal came to the crease after opener Yashasvi Jaiswal departed for 32 following a run-out mix-up with KL Rahul. From that point, Padikkal and Rahul built a 150-run partnership for the second wicket off 252 balls, giving India a clear early advantage on a surface that presented a more balanced appearance than the typical Galle pitch, which tends to assist spin as the match progresses.

Rahul contributed 77 off 162 balls before cramps forced him to leave the field at the start of the third session, and he retired himself out. The pair had also been interrupted earlier in the day, waiting an hour and 20 minutes into the second session to resume after rain and a wet outfield caused a delay.

Historical significance of the No. 3 innings

Padikkal earned his place in the XI after Sai Sudharsan was ruled out with injury. He had built his case through consistent performances in domestic cricket and was handed the No. 3 position for the match. His century carried historical weight, where he became the first Indian left-handed batter since Sourav Ganguly to score a Test hundred from that position. Shubman Gill had been the last Indian to score a Test century at No. 3, doing so in September 2024. In the period between Gill's hundred and this match, seven different batters occupied the position across 19 Tests, averaging 27.28 collectively with five 50-plus scores from 35 innings.

India captain Gill won the toss and elected to bat first at Galle International Stadium. Sri Lanka, captained by Dhananjaya de Silva, relied on a spin-heavy attack led by Prabath Jayasuriya, who removed Gill for 16 early in the day after the India captain mistimed a lofted drive and holed out to Lahiru Udara at mid-off. Sri Lanka also fielded a debutant off-spinner, Keshara Nuwantha, who made his Test debut in the match.