Devdutt Padikkal and Shubman Gill scored half-centuries to put India in a strong position before the latter fell at the stroke of tea on the opening day of the second Test against Sri Lanka in Colombo.
Padikkal, in particular, has been impressive with his calmness and shot selection and he is really taking the number three role seriously.
India reached 187/3 at tea with Padikkal unbeaten on 63 and Rishabh Pant yet to score. Gill’s dismissal just before the break ended a 120-run third-wicket partnership with Padikkal.
Gill scored 50 off 108 balls, hitting six fours. He completed his half-century shortly before Asitha Fernando got his wicket. The India captain edged the ball behind, with Niroshan Dickwella taking the catch.
Gill had spent a long time at the crease and played a patient innings. He came in after India lost an early wicket and helped settle the innings alongside Padikkal. The pair took their time against the Sri Lankan bowlers and gradually built India’s total.
Padikkal was the more attacking of the two during the partnership. He reached 63 off 117 balls and had hit seven fours by the tea break. The left-hander continued his good run against Sri Lanka after scoring a career-best 167 in the first Test in Galle.
His hundred in Galle was one of the main reasons India won the opening Test by 165 runs. Padikkal once again looked comfortable in Colombo and played a key role in taking India past 150.
Gill’s half-century was also an important contribution. He had reached the 3,000-run mark in Test cricket earlier in the innings, becoming the 28th Indian batter to reach the landmark. The 26-year-old became the fourth-youngest Indian to score 3,000 Test runs.
The partnership between Gill and Padikkal came after India lost their second wicket. The two batters did not allow Sri Lanka to build pressure for long, putting together 120 runs and taking India into a strong position before tea.
Sri Lanka had started the day with India choosing to bat after Gill won the toss. The hosts were hoping their bowlers could make early inroads, but the third-wicket partnership put India in control during the second session.
Fernando eventually gave Sri Lanka the breakthrough they needed just before tea. Gill’s dismissal also meant India lost their captain after he had completed a well-made half-century.
Padikkal remained at the crease at the interval and had another opportunity to make a big score against Sri Lanka.
India went into the second Test with a 1-0 lead after their win in Galle. They made one change for the Colombo Test, with 33-year-old Saransh Jain making his Test debut in place of Kuldeep Yadav, who missed the match after failing to recover fully from a viral illness.
At 187/3, India were well placed at tea, with Padikkal holding one end and Pant at the crease as the visitors looked to build a big first-innings total.