Devdutt Padikkal scored 167 runs while batting at number three during the second Test against Sri Lanka on Sunday [1, 2].
The performance is significant because India has been searching for a permanent batsman to fill the number three position. Padikkal's innings serves as a strong claim for that role, especially after a gap of nearly two years since his previous Test appearance [4, 5].
The match took place at the Sinhalese Sports Club ground in Colombo [1]. This innings was Padikkal's third Test match [3]. While some reports describe this as his first Test century [2], other records indicate he has now scored back-to-back centuries in the series [1].
By scoring a century at the number three position, Padikkal has entered an elite group of Indian batsmen. Reports vary on the specific composition of this list; some sources said he joins Sachin Tendulkar and Cheteshwar Pujara [1], while others said he is the third Indian to achieve the feat after Rahul Dravid and Cheteshwar Pujara [5].
Padikkal's return to the lineup follows a period of preparation that included training with Kookaburra balls and utilizing Lankan-style pitches in Bengaluru [4]. The 167-run effort marks a turning point for the batsman who had been absent from the national Test side for a significant duration [3, 5].
“Devdutt Padikkal scored 167 runs while batting at number three”
Padikkal's success in Colombo suggests a potential solution to India's long-standing instability at the number three spot. By matching the early-career trajectory of stalwarts like Dravid or Pujara, he provides the team with a specialist anchor capable of handling the pressure of the top order after a prolonged period of experimentation.
