Devdutt Padikkal stayed in excellent touch during the Sri Lanka series as he scored another century on Sunday, the opening day of the second Test.
He reached 100 from 168 balls, hitting 10 fours along the way. Padikkal was given two chances by Sri Lankan fielders, but he took full advantage of them and scored heavily. His big knock also helped India strengthen its position in the match.
What was Padikkal’s recent form prior to this innings?
In the first Test in Galle, Devdutt Padikkal scored 167 runs in the first innings and then made 44 in the second. He was also in great touch before the series scoring 142 in the warm-up game.
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How did India’s top order rebuild before tea?
If we talk about the Indian batting innings till now then captain Shubman Gill was out just before the tea break after sharing a 120-run stand with Padikkal for the third wicket. The partnership helped India recover after KL Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal were dismissed in the first session. Rishabh Pant, who was unbeaten on 0 came in to bat with Padikkal shortly before tea.
Which early mistake by Sri Lanka allowed Padikkal to capitalize?
Moving forward with Devdutt Padikkal’s innings then the Indian star player did not look fully comfortable at the start and was given a big lifeline when he had scored just one run. Sri Lanka captain Dhananjaya de Silva dropped a simple catch at backward point off spinner Keshara Nuwantha. Padikkal made the most of the mistake and went on to build a big innings.
How did Padikkal accelerate to reach his half-century?
The left-hander who made a 167 in the first Test, displayed splendid touch after that early fumble, dispatching Sri Lankan bowlers around the park. A scorching pull off pacer Lahiru Kumara that also fetched him his fifty in 90 balls was one of the standout shots in his innings.
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How did Padikkal regain his dominance after the dropped catch?
The India star left handed batter who scored 167 in the first Test, quickly found his rhythm after the early chance. He attacked the Sri Lankan bowlers and hit boundaries all around the ground. One of his best shots was a powerful pull against fast bowler Lahiru Kumara which also helped him reach his half century from 90 balls.
How did Shubman Gill’s strong innings come to an end?
Shubman Gill was also playing confidently and looked in good touch. His short arm pull against left arm spinner Prabath Jayasuriya went quickly to the boundary and was one of his best shots. However his innings ended when he edged a delivery from Asitha Fernando to wicketkeeper Niroshan Dickwella.
How did India recover from their early opening setback?
India faced some early trouble after Rahul and Jaiswal were dismissed in the opening session. After choosing to bat first, India began well as Rahul scored 18 and Jaiswal made 45. The pair put together 37 runs for the first wicket without much difficulty. Jaiswal looked especially confident and avoided playing the cut shot, which has often caused problems for him. The left hander hit two consecutive boundaries off Kumara before playing a beautiful cover drive against Jayasuriya.
What led to the dismissals of Rahul and Jaiswal?
Rahul played a careful innings but also showed his attacking skills by hitting Jayasuriya for a six over the bowler’s head. However his stay at the crease ended suddenly. He tried to play a square cut against Kumara, but his poor footwork caused an outside edge that went straight to Dickwella. Jaiswal appeared set for a big score, but he was soon dismissed by Fernando.