Team India registered an emphatic 165-run victory against Sri Lanka in the opening Test at the Galle International Stadium, gaining a 1-0 lead in the two-match series.
Despite entering the series with a bruised ego following home series defeats to New Zealand and South Africa, Shubman Gill’s men showed tremendous resilience to conquer the spin-friendly conditions in Galle.
Replacing injured Sai Sudharsan at No. 3 spot, Devdutt Padikkal delivered a Player-of-the-Match performance for the visitors. The southpaw slammed his maiden Test ton (167) in the first innings, and followed it with a vital knock of 44 in the second essay.
Despite his stellar showing, former India batter Ajinkya Rahane has advised Padikkal not to take his place for granted and believes the Karnataka lad would also have a similar thought process.
"If a senior player at number three or any number had gone out and Padikkal scored in his place, the senior player would come back into the team. But at this moment, Sai Sudharsan also does not have as much experience in Test cricket. So I feel India will think of Padikkal at number three. But you cannot take anything for granted, and Devdutt will have this in mind as well. Sudharsan is also a quality player. He will look to perform consistently," Rahane said in a video shared on his YouTube channel.
Rahane was also effusive in praise of Padikkal’s classy batting at Galle. "For now, yes. I feel he will play at number three. You see a batter scoring runs, but should also see how he scores them. Padikkal's footwork was decisive, and with the confidence that he displayed, he did not let the bowlers settle. It is important for your number three to dominate on such wickets. It is a good sign for the team. He did not allow pressure to come on any of the batters," he added.
In the same video, Rahane also defended Rishabh Pant and backed the wicketkeeper-batter to continue playing his natural game.
In the first innings at Galle, Pant’s basic cricketing sense was questioned by the critics after he threw his wicket away for 39 while attempting a rash shot.
"Both these innings were important from his point of view. I think it will give him a lot of confidence. There were a lot of talks about his form. But I think Pant is such a player who is a match-winner, and you need them in your team at all times. They can change the game anytime. No one can predict what he will do. This is his game. I think he should continue with this mindset, no matter what anyone says about him outside. India needs a player like him in the side," Rahane stated.
However, Rishabh Pant spearheaded India's second innings with an aggressive 66 off 69 balls, powering the visitors to a total of 193 and setting Sri Lanka a daunting target of 372 runs to win the first Test.
During his counter-attacking knock, Pant smashed 8 fours and 2 sixes, scripting history by becoming the first Indian and the fastest player globally to hit 100 Test sixes. He reached the milestone in just 89 innings and from only 4,918 deliveries, shattering the previous records held by Australian legend Adam Gilchrist (137 innings and 6,578 balls).
The second India versus Sri Lanka Test is slated to be held in Colombo from August 23.
