Deudhat Padikkal scores 167 runs in India vs Sri Lanka match, setting a record after 24 years

On the third day of the Test match between India and Sri Lanka, Indian bowlers increased the pressure on the home team, but they faced unexpected resistance. Young left-arm spinner Manav Suthar completely dismantled the top order of the Sri Lankan side with his spin. By lunchtime, the home team had lost five wickets, scoring only 99 runs, and it seemed their innings would end quickly after replying to the first innings total of 462.

Dinusha demonstrated incredible patience against the Indian bowlers, recording his first international century. Along with experienced Niroshan Dickwella, he built a partnership of 146 runs for the sixth wicket, forcing India to wait long for the next wicket. In the end, Sri Lanka was brought to 284 runs in the first innings, but India gained a significant advantage of 178 runs.

Sri Lanka needed a strong start to post a large total in the first innings, but Mohammed Siraj dismissed Fernando on the second ball, giving India a brilliant start. Fernando's shot could not counter Siraj's delivery, which was outside off and had lift, and the ball went into the hands of Devdhadh Pathikkala. After this, Manav Suthar took charge.

From the very first ball, Dimuth Chandimal received a slight edge that went into Rishabh Pant's gloves. Then Suthar began troubling the Sri Lankan batsmen by constantly varying the line, trajectory, depth, and turn of the ball. He made the ball fly in the air at speeds exceeding 85 kilometers per hour, extracting help from the fielders.

Lahiru Udara initially countered him for some time and played several impressive pull and cut shots, but Suthar eventually found a way to dismiss him. A weak shot led to Yashwish Kaisaval catching it in the gully. Chamindu Mendis also did not last long. His lofted shot against Kuldeep Yadav's delivery became a victim of Shubman Gill's excellent catch. Captain Danjaya de Silva was caught by Kel Rahul in the slip off Ravindra Jadeja's bowling.

At 99 runs for five wickets, India's position was very solid. However, then came Dinusha's innings.

But in cricket, the competition is not just about statistics. Sri Lanka needed a batsman at that moment who could understand the situation and stabilize the innings. Sonal Dinusha did exactly that. Along with Niroshan Dickwella, he did not rush to attack the Indian spinners. Both chose their shots very cautiously. The sweep became their favorite weapon, and both effectively drove balls coming down the stumps to the boundary using their feet.

Dickwella reached a half-century off 67 balls, while Dinusha required 92 balls to reach that mark. But this slowness became their strength. They fought to preserve wickets rather than score runs. In the second session, Sri Lanka added 116 runs without losing a wicket.

Dickwella capitalized on an opportunity, getting a chance at a duck when his personal score was 20. On a Suthar ball, Kel Rahul could not reach his drive in the slip. However, in the second innings, Dickwella's fate was not kind. When he hit a ball from Krishna, it flew straight into Rishabh Pant's gloves. Dickwella was dismissed on 80 runs off 115 balls. Sri Lanka felt again that the innings was about to end, but Dinusha remained.

Former Pakistani fast bowler Saeeb Akhtar, known as the Rawalpindi Express for his speed, continues to attract global cricket attention even after retiring. He himself helped Pakistan secure victories in several important matches.

According to Akhtar, if he had had leadership like Imran Khan's during his era, his Test career could have changed drastically. Akhtar admitted that he still regrets that the dream of playing under Imran Khan remained unfulfilled. He noted that instead of the 178 Test wickets he has, he could have taken over 400.

Discussing this with a Pakistani television channel, Saeeb stated that he took more than 400 wickets in first-class matches. However, in international Tests, he managed only 178 wickets in 46 games. Akhtar emphasized that Imran Khan had a talent for identifying players' best potential. When Saeeb debuted in Tests in 1997, Imran had already left international sports.

Saeeb's entire career was under different captains, and it involved many controversial moments. At the beginning of his career, Wasim Akram was the captain, and there were rumors that he initially did not want Saeeb to debut. Nevertheless, later they showed brilliant play together during the tour of India in 1999 and at the 1999 World Cup, where Pakistan reached the final.

Saeeb's career ended during the 2011 World Cup. During this period, reports emerged about disagreements between Saeeb Akhtar and the then-captain Shahid Afridi. Saeeb recounted that maintaining his pace required a daily struggle. An injection was used to draw fluid from his knees. He also mentioned that before team practice, he had to cycle and work out in the gym to relieve spasms in his knees. Injections and medication were administered into his knees, followed by ice therapy. After a match, it took him five hours to recover his body. Furthermore, Saeeb scored 247 runs in 163 one-day matches and took 21 wickets in 15 T20 matches.

Indian batsman Devdhadhat Padikkal demonstrated outstanding play on the first day of the Test match against Sri Lanka in Galle on August 15 (Saturday). Coming in at number three, Padikkal scored his first century in his Test career.

In his first innings for India, Padikkal scored 134 runs, using 9 fours and one six to complete his century.

Devdhadhat Padikkal is the second left-handed batsman in the 21st century to score a hundred while batting at number three for India. Before him, this feat was achieved by Sorav Gavaskar. The former captain of India, Sorav Gavaskar, scored 136 runs against Zimbabwe in Delhi in 2002.

After a long break, no Indian batsman had scored a hundred at number three in Test matches. The last player to achieve this was Shubman Gill, who accomplished this feat in September 2024 against Bangladesh in Chennai.

In the 19 Test matches played between that match and the current one, the Indian team tested seven different batsmen at number three. However, the performance of these seven players in this position did not meet expectations: they averaged 27.28 in 35 innings and managed to reach 50 or more only five times. Now Padikkal has ended a long wait by scoring a hundred in Galle.

This match is the third for 26-year-old Devdhadhat Padikkal. In the two previous Test matches, he scored an average of 90 runs in 30.00. Padikkal debuted in Test matches in March 2024 against England in Darmstadt. In his debut Test innings, Padikkal scored an impressive 65 runs. Furthermore, Padikkal played for the Indian team in two T20 international matches, where he scored an average of 38 runs in 19.00.