Goa, Aug. 15 -- Devdutt Padikkal has long maintained that his game is naturally suited for red-ball cricket. On Saturday in Galle, the 26-year-old left-hander validated that belief by smashing his maiden Test century in just 134 balls on Day 1 of the first Test against Sri Lanka. Opportunities at the top level have been hard to come by for the Karnataka batter, but when an injury to B Sai Sudharsan opened a doorway, Padikkal seized the moment to deliver a masterclass in subcontinental batting.

Since Cheteshwar Pujara was dropped in June 2023, India's No. 3 spot had turned into a revolving door. Eleven different batters were trialed over a three-year span, yet none managed to record a century from that position-until now. Stepping out to ...