New Delhi, Aug. 14 -- Devdutt Padikkal is set to occupy the no.3 spot in the Indian batting line-up against Sri Lanka in the first Test, that starts on August 15 in Galle. The Indian team are on a two-match Test tour of Sri Lanka, which are a part of the ongoing World Test Championship (WTC) 2025-27 cycle.

Chances for Padikkal became clear after Sai Sudharsan was ruled out of the entire series due to a toe injury. The Karnataka batter made his case stronger with an unbeaten hundred in the three-day warm-up game in Colombo. He had also scored 12, 67 and 94 in three innings for India A against Sri Lanka A in June-July at this very same ground.

The occasion will carry added significance as Galle International Stadium hosts its 50th Test. T...