Devdutt Padikkal scores historic Test century on India's Independence Day
Devdutt Padikkal made an unbeaten 131 at No. 3 in India's opening Test versus Sri Lanka on August 15, becoming the second Indian to notch an international hundred on Independence Day and the first in a Test.
On August 15, during the opening Test against Sri Lanka at Galle International Cricket Stadium, Devdutt Padikkal compiled an unbeaten 131 from the No. 3 position, guiding India to 288/2 after 73 overs. Drafted into the role after Sai Sudharsan was sidelined by injury, the left-hander handled the Sri Lankan spin attack with ease. His century places him alongside Virat Kohli as the only Indian batsmen to score an international hundred on Independence Day, and it is the first such Test milestone.
The performance also ends a gap in Test centuries from the No. 3 slot, the previous one being Shubman Gill’s hundred against Bangladesh in September 2024. Padikkal becomes the second Indian left-hander of the 21st century to reach a Test hundred at No. 3, following Sourav Ganguly, and joins a select group that includes Vinod Kambli and several others with a single such innings.
Why it matters
The feat highlights a rising talent and marks a historic first Test century on India's Independence Day.
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