Padikkal's Fighting Ton Steadies India After Pant Injury Blow in Colombo

Openers KL Rahul (18) and Yashasvi Jaiswal (45) provided a 37-run opening stand before being dismissed. Devdutt Padikkal (63*) and captain Shubman Gill (50) put on a 120-run stand.

The first session featured on-field drama between Jaiswal and Asitha Fernando, and a dropped catch by Dhananjaya de Silva.

Padikkal hits second ton in a row, leads India to 300/5 on Day 1 against SL

Devdutt Padikkal conjured an extraordinary 117, powering India above Rishabh Pant's hand injury and untimely fall of wickets around him to a reasonable 300 for five on the opening day of second and final Test against spirited Sri Lanka in Colombo on Sunday.

Dhruv Jurel (7) and debutant Saransh Jain (4) were batting at close after a taxing day of Test cricket.

Padikkal's 168-ball innings, his second hundred in as many Tests, was not laced with the customary elegance barring on a couple of occasions when he brought out those full-blooded pulls and drives. He was dropped on 0 and 1 but remained solid after those reprieves.

Rishabh Pant, who was hit on the wrist, receives medical attention before walking off the pitch retired hurt. 

But the innings was still stunning because of the circumstances in which it was executed.

Yashasvi Jaiswal (45) and skipper Shubman Gill (50), with whom he constructed a stabilising 120-run stand for the third wicket, were dismissed after raising visions of bigger knocks.

Pant copped a blow on his forearm from pacer Lahiru Kumara and had to retire hurt on 3, leaving Padikkal to do the heavy lifting.

Then there were the constantly examining Sri Lankan bowlers and the scorching heat and humidity of Colombo for him to tide over.

It was not that the Karnataka man had oodles of experience on his back to fall back upon to counter such tough situations.

Padikkal was playing just the fourth Test of his nascent career but the circumstances forced him to play the lead firefighter's role.

This century was vastly different from the one he scored at Galle, where the pitch was not remotely challenging in the first two days.

But the SSC deck offered enough bounce and bite, especially for pacers, asking constant questions about his technique and patience.

Padikkal answered each of those searching questions with poise. He reached 50 off 90 balls, driving left-arm spinner Prabath Jayasuriya for a four.

Going past the little landmark only strengthened his resolve, and there was a streak for fortune when Lankan skipper Dhananjaya de Silva shelled a chance at backward point off Keshara Nuwantha when the batter was on 1.

Padikkal was in no mood to look in the mouth of a gift horse and aced the examination of the far extremes of character that only Test cricket can offer.

Pacers tested his reflexes with short-pitched balls, Padikkal weaved away or tucked them around, and offered a dead bat whenever spinners found some turn and bounce.

Eventually, the much-awaited moment came when he first drove Jayasuriya for a four to reach 99, and two balls later he nudged the spinner to long-on for a single to make a landing on the three-figure zone.

Promptly came off the helmet and the bat was raised skywards for a quick celebration before focusing on the job at hand again.

But Nuwantha had his revenge finally when he pushed a ball through the defence of Padikkal to castle him, but, by then, he had taken the ship to safer shores.

Devdutt Padikkal of India celebrates after scoring a fifty

Skipper Shubman Gill and Devdutt Padikkal made assured 50 and 63 not out respectively as India moved to a strong 187 for three at tea on the opening day of the second Test in Colombo on Sunday.

Gill, who was dismissed at the stroke of tea, and Padikkal added 120 runs for the third wicket alliance as India recovered well from the first session departure of KL Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal.

Rishabh Pant (0 not out) joined Padikkal a few minutes before tea was taken.

Devdutt Padikkal and Shubman Gill celebrate their 100-run stand  

Padikkal was a bit unsteady to begin with and even got a reprieve when was on 1.

Lanka skipper Dhananjaya de Silva grassed a rather easy chance off spinner Keshara Nuwantha at backward point and Padikkal was in no mood to look in the mouth of a gift horse.

The left-hander, who made a 167 in the first Test, displayed splendid touch after that early fumble, dispatching Sri Lankan bowlers around the park.

Shubman Gill of India celebrates after scoring a fifty 

A scorching pull off pacer Lahiru Kumara that also fetched him his fifty in 90 balls was one of the standout shots in his innings.

Gill, on the other hand, was equally solid and a short-arm pull off left-arm spinner Prabath Jayasuriya that raced to the fence was a treat to watch, until the right-hander lost his focus to edge Asitha Fernando to wicketkeeper Niroshan Dickwella.

Yashasvi Jaiswal en route his 45 on Day 1 of the 2nd Test in Colombo on Sunday 

India were put under some early pressure as Sri Lanka jettisoned KL Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal, reducing the visitors to 88 for two at lunch on the opening day of the second Test here on Sunday. Devdutt Padikkal (13) and captain Shubman Gill (11) were at the crease at the end of the first session.

KL Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal put on a 37-run stand for the first wicket

After opting to bat, India started solidly through Rahul (18) and Jaiswal (45), who added a trouble-free 37 runs for the first wicket. Jaiswal was particularly impressive as he eschewed the cut shot, which has led to his peril often in the past, to a good extent.

The left-hander smashed pacer Lahiru Kumara for two boundaries in succession, before executing a wonderful cover drive off left-arm spinner Prabath Jayasuriya. Rahul was as restrained as ever but showed a glimpse of his shot-making ability, lifting Jayasuriya for a six straight over the head of the bowler.

But the trouble came without any warning. Rahul went for a square cut off Kumara, but the laden feet shot only produced an edge to Niroshan Dickwella behind the stumps. Jaiswal looked primed for a bigger score but soon fell to Asitha Fernando. The pacer produced a peach of a nip-backer to breach the Indian's defence and a little drama followed that dismissal.

Fernando gave Jaiswal, who had sledged Dickwella in the second innings of the first Test at Galle, a send-off and the Indian opener turned back to have a few words with Lankan with his helmet touching the forehead of the pacer. But the situation was soon defused by Lankan skipper Dhananjaya de Silva.

Shubman Gill took his time before getting off the mark with a four after 13 deliveries

However, De Silva had a less flattering moment soon as he dropped Devdutt Padikkal at backward point off spinner Keshara Nuwantha. Padikkal was on one then, and Gill too played out the remainder of the session without much trouble.