Devdutt Padikkal's maiden Test century at No. 3 addresses India's middle-order selection gap

Devdutt Padikkal got the call when Sai Sudharsan was ruled out, and he made it count — 131 not out off 134 balls at number three on the first day in Galle. India closed on 288 for 2, and for the first time in two years, the No. 3 slot had a century to build on.

It wasn't flashy. Padikkal played without a real chance, grafting alongside KL Rahul (77) in a 150-run partnership that gave India a platform before rain shut down play. The innings is what the position has been missing: solidity when it matters.

Number three has been a weak link for India since it was last consistently held three years ago. Padikkal's unbeaten hundred doesn't automatically make him the long-term answer, but it does something more useful right now — it proves the spot doesn't need a permanent specialist. Whoever's in form, whoever suits the opposition, can bat there and have half a chance of building an innings.