Credit: X

Credit: X

While Sri Lanka came up with a fight despite not being in the best possible form of late especially where it comes to international Test match cricket, it could be said that their challengers, the Indian team mounted enough pressure to keep the hosts in check. The important victory that was keenly sought by the visiting India side now sees them 1-nil up in the series with one more contest to go.

This win is mega important especially in the context of just how poorly India have fared in the World Test Championship cycle. But it’s one thing to win a game and something other to do so by a margin of 165.

And at Galle, one could say, while it was an all round show in the end with the spinners and fast bowlers being equally responsible to hand India what is now an unassailable lead, none of what the Shubman Gill-led side has managed would have been possible in the absence of runs.

It’s important to remember that the current team to which Shreyas Iyer is not a part and one where Kohli and Rohit are no more Test cricketers, there’s a bit of a transition that’s currently evident.  

Which is why someone who can score reliably and consistently at number 3 becomes very critical. And answering that call of duty ever so ardently was Devdutt Padikkal.

After his sensational and career best 167 that came off an important 230-ball stay at the wicket, the talented left hander followed up with a fighting 45 off 77 in India’s second innings. At a time where the critical number 3 spot in the side is still pretty much up for grabs, the run hungry scorer seems to have emerged as an apt fit for the job.

Following India’s commanding win in this opening Test, here’s how Paddikal exclaimed his performance and how he thought it came to India’s cause in this game:

“it’s not an easy thing to do when you keep shifting from white ball cricket to red ball cricket. But I think I’ve gotten better at it and can hopefully keep on improving!”

What was so pleasing, in particular, was the critical stand that Paddikal was involved in alongside KL Rahul. And that goes a way to determine how the talented and eager young cricketer can go about in the games that follow. Here’s hoping he can come good again in the next Test.