Devdutt Padikkal scores maiden Test century in Galle

Devdutt Padikkal scored 167 in his return to the Test side as India defeated Sri Lanka by 165 runs in Galle. He replaced the injured Sai Sudharsan at number three and shared a substantial partnership with KL Rahul. Padikkal added 44 in the second innings.

KL Rahul said the India A tours helped younger players adapt to Test cricket. Padikkal said batting at number three requires understanding what has already happened on the pitch. He described the transition from white-ball to red-ball as a matter of adjusting tempo rather than technique.

India take a 1-0 lead into the Colombo Test. Saransh Jain is in line to make his debut if the selectors add another spinner.