Devdutt Padikkal marked his return to Test cricket in style, scoring his maiden century in the format during India’s first innings of the Galle Test against Sri Lanka.The Karnataka left-hander produced a composed yet attacking knock, handling the challenging conditions with maturity and putting pressure on the Sri Lankan bowlers. Padikkal was particularly effective against spinners Prabath Jayasuriya and Keshara Nuwantha, combining caution with well-timed aggression.The 26-year-old came into the Test on the back of a century against SLC XI in the warm-up game and continued his strong run of form when it mattered most.Padikkal may have found it difficult to break into India’s playing XI had Sai Sudharsan been fit and available for the series. However, his century has strengthened his case for a continued run at No.3.Speaking after the close of play on Day 1, Padikkal revealed that determination was key to getting through a physically demanding innings in Galle, where the heat and humidity took a toll.“In this knock, determination for me was playing through that tiredness and fatigue that I was feeling, especially towards the third session. I think it was getting really hot, and we were losing a lot of fluid. We were sweating all the time. So it was really important that I was determined enough to keep going and keep pushing forward,” Padikkal said in a video shared by BCCI.The batter also stressed the importance of maintaining concentration on a surface that did not make batting easy.“It wasn’t the easiest of wickets to bat on. I think we had to make sure that we didn’t play too many last shots. We had to make sure that we kept our minds in the game as long as possible because, like I said, again, when you get tired, it’s easy to lose that discipline, and I think as a team we did that well today,” he added.Padikkal shared a 150-run partnership with KL Rahul before Rahul retired hurt on 77 after suffering from cramps. For Padikkal, the century was particularly significant as he had not played a Test for India since 2024 and had waited almost two years for another opportunity.His return to the side came after a prolific run across domestic cricket and the IPL. Strong performances in the Ranji Trophy and Vijay Hazare Trophy, along with his IPL form, helped him force his way back into the reckoning.Padikkal admitted that the long wait had tested his patience but also gave him time to improve his game.“Patience for me, I think it was more to do with what I’ve gone through before this game. I think my last Test was in 2024. So it’s been a long time coming, and I’ve had to patiently wait, look on from the outside. It’s never easy. But at the same time, it gave me time to really work on my game and perfect things that needed perfecting. And I’m really glad that all that hard work came to effect today. It feels great,” said Padikkal.The left-hander also revealed that he felt nervous as he approached the three-figure mark, but eventually managed to overcome the pressure.“I was a bit nervous towards the end when I got closer to it, but I think that’s part of it, and I’m really happy to get over that. Especially this ground, I think even when we came here with the India SI, I got a few runs and even in the warm-up game, obviously I got some runs. So yeah, I guess it’s a really special place for me and glad to keep it going,” he added.
