Devdutt Padikkal scored 117 and captain Shubman Gill made 50 as India reached 300 for 5 after 85 overs on Day 1 of the second Test against Sri Lanka at the Sinhalese Sports Club in Colombo.
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Padikkal and Gill took control after India slipped to 66 for 2. The No. 3 and No. 4 batters stayed together for more than 35 overs, absorbed Sri Lanka’s pressure and built a hundred-run partnership through controlled defence and selective stroke play.
Padikkal and Gill counter Sri Lanka’s pace attack
Padikkal and Gill handled a demanding passage after lunch by leaving carefully, defending under their eyes and scoring when Sri Lanka’s bowlers moved away from a good length. Asitha Fernando and Lahiru Kumara tested both batters with bounce and short-pitched bowling, but the partnership prevented further early damage.
Gill adopted a patient approach after the two early wickets and helped Padikkal settle into the innings. The left-right combination kept the scoreboard moving without taking unnecessary risks until Gill was dismissed for 50 near the tea interval.
Padikkal continued to 117, completing his second successive Test hundred after his century in Galle. The two innings gave India substantial output from the No. 3 position across consecutive Tests in Sri Lanka.
Why the partnership matters for India’s batting
The Padikkal-Gill partnership was only the third hundred-run stand between India’s No. 3 and No. 4 batters since 2019, according to the original match report.
Supplemental editorial cricket visual for Padikkal century and Gill fifty steady India in Colombo Test.
The previous two partnerships in that period were Virat Kohli and Sarfaraz Khan’s 136 against New Zealand in 2024, and Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane’s 111 against South Africa in 2022.
Padikkal also became the first India No. 3 batter since Pujara in the 2018-19 Border-Gavaskar Trophy to score hundreds in consecutive Tests. Pujara made 106 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground and 193 at the Sydney Cricket Ground, while Padikkal recorded his successive hundreds in Galle and Colombo.
India head coach Gautam Gambhir had discussed the team’s batting transition before the match. Padikkal’s form and his partnership with Gill provided evidence of greater stability in the upper middle order, although the pairing remains relatively new at Test level.
India first-innings score after 85 overs
India’s first innings stood at 300 for 5 after 85 overs, with Fernando taking three wickets for Sri Lanka.
| Team | Score | Leading batters | Leading bowler |
|---|---|---|---|
| India | 300 for 5 in 85 overs | Devdutt Padikkal 117, Shubman Gill 50 | Asitha Fernando 3 for 46 |
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