‘Grabbed his opportunity’: Rahul Dravid hails Devdutt Padikkal for his maiden Test century vs Sri Lanka in Galle originally appeared on Cricket News. Add Cricket News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
KEY TAKEAWAYS:
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Devdutt Padikkal earned Player of the Match honours after scoring 211 runs on his Test debut at No. 3 against Sri Lanka.
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Rahul Dravid praised Padikkal’s ability to seize his opportunity after replacing the injured Sai Sudharsan in the squad.
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Padikkal’s 167 in the first innings set up India’s win, aided by Manav Suthar’s 10-wicket haul.
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Master praises the pupil! Inside Rahul Dravid’s special tribute to Devdutt Padikkal after historic Galle Test hundred
Devdutt Padikkal’s breakout performance in Galle has earned him high praise from one of India’s finest No. 3 batters, with Rahul Dravid crediting the youngster for making the absolute most of a chance that only came his way through misfortune.
India’s win over Sri Lanka in the first Test was built largely around two standout contributions: Padikkal’s batting and left-arm spinner Manav Suthar’s remarkable 10-wicket haul.
Padikkal set the tone with a magnificent 167 off 230 balls in the first innings, and carried that same fluency into the second, before falling LBW to Keshara Nuwantha for 44 off 75 balls.
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His combined tally of 211 runs across the match marked the highest aggregate by an Indian No. 3 against Sri Lanka since Dravid himself managed 215 runs in the Ahmedabad Test back in 2009, where he scored 177 and 38 across both innings.
Dravid still holds the outright record for the most runs by an Indian No. 3 in a single Test, having piled up 305 runs against Australia in Adelaide in 2003, anchored by an unforgettable 233 followed by 72 not out in a famous Indian win.
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Devdutt Padikkal India 08152026
BCCI/Creimas
What did Rahul Dravid say about Padikkal’s performance?
Dravid sees Padikkal’s rise as a textbook example of a player making the most of an unexpected opportunity.
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“I think it was a really good knock. I think Devdutt doesn’t get many continuous opportunities, so he only got into the team because Sai Sudharsan was injured. Got his opportunity and he’s really grabbed it,” he said.
“Played really well in both innings. I thought in the first innings he got a really big hundred. I think that’s what you want from your number three, is if you get set, you know, it’s a great opportunity on day one or day one and two of a Test match: make a big hundred, make a big score.
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“You make that kind of score, and it really sets up the Test match, and it’s no surprise India was able to win that Test match comfortably on the back of, you know, his sort of brilliant batting on days one and two.
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“So, just exactly what you want from a number three, and you know, happy to see that even when you get a guy off the bench, you know, he’s able to perform and do really well.”
Padikkal’s performance that deserves to reshape India’s middle-order thinking
What makes Padikkal’s Galle performance so significant isn’t just the runs themselves, but the manner in which he scored them.
Plenty of batters get exposed the moment conditions turn difficult against quality spin, but Padikkal did the opposite.
He actively hunted opportunities to attack, using the sweep and his footwork as tools of aggression rather than pure survival. That’s a rare quality in a player getting his first real extended run in the format.
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MORE: How Devdutt Padikkal battled fatigue & sweltering heat to score maiden Test century vs Sri Lanka
Dravid’s comments are significant given his own history as one of India’s greatest number threes, and his praise wasn’t just polite acknowledgement, but an observation about exactly what the role demands. India’s selectors now face an interesting decision once Sai Sudharsan returns fully fit, because Padikkal has done far more than simply fill in competently.
He’s made a compelling case that his spot shouldn’t be treated as temporary, and dropping a player straight off a Player-of-the-Match performance would be a bold call to justify. Sometimes injuries open doors that talent alone couldn’t, and Padikkal has made sure this one won’t close easily.
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