Devdutt Padikkal was waiting for a Test hundred, and his dream was finally fulfilled when he played an impressive knock for India in the ongoing series opener against Sri Lanka. The southpaw managed 167 as India reached 460 for 9 at stumps despite the comeback of the Sri Lanka bowlers on a day impacted by rain.
“I have dreamt of this moment. I have been working hard for the last two years to make sure that when I get a chance, I can score runs for my team. I am happy to play a big innings,” Padikkal told Sony Sports after the end of play on Day 2.
He has been scoring runs for Karnataka in domestic cricket but didn’t get the opportunities he deserves. His previous Test was against Australia in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in 2024. He was added to the starting XI for the Sri Lanka series after Sai Sudharsan was ruled out with an injury.
The left-handed batter made the most of his chance and was magnificent against Sri Lanka spinners. Padikkal didn’t allow Keshara Nuwantha and Prabath Jayasuriya to settle down.
Devdutt opened on his approach against the slow bowlers, saying clear plans have helped him. “It is important to have plans in front of you when you are facing spinners. You can’t go out and react all the time. There is a need to have a better understanding of the shots you want to play as soon as you enter the middle. You need to put pressure on the bowlers,” he added.
“I have worked hard to find ways that I can implement to put pressure on the bowlers.’
Padikkal was decisive in his footwork, which allowed him to play shots with ease.
“There is a need for clarity about what you want to do as a player. It helps you to feel confident. I wanted to commit to whatever I do 100 percent. Even if it was a defensive stroke, I want to give my best while playing it. It made my footwork better,” Padikkal mentioned.
Padikkal is renowned for scoring big hundreds in domestic tournaments. He has amassed scores of 150 or more on many occasions, saying his hunger to score helps him to bat for hours.
“It is about my hunger for runs. I enjoy batting. You can relax as a batter when you score a hundred, but I make sure to remain focused and play the next 20-30 balls with concentration. It is really an important phase for any batter.
“When I go past a hundred and play the next 10 balls without any problem, it makes my job easy. I have seen cricketers scoring big runs and big hundreds. Watching them makes me want to follow them.”
Padikkal added important runs with KL Rahul, and the two were flawless against the opposite numbers after the dismissal of Yashasvi Jaiswal.
Padikkal felt the Galle surface is still good for batting, but it would change as the match progresses.
“I think it will start breaking up after a few more sessions. It quickens up fast on Day 3 and 4. We want that to happen as it will help our bowlers.”
Padikkal was in no mood to celebrate. “I am tired, and I want to go back to bed now,” he concluded.