Devdutt Padikkal’s Red-Ball Evolution: How His Galle Masterclass Cemented His Place at No. 3

There was a time when Devdutt Padikkal’s name was regularly mentioned as a promising option for India, but the opportunity never seemed to arrive at the right time.

He had the talent. He had the domestic numbers. He had already played for India. What he did not have was a proper run in the Test side.

That changed in Galle.

With Sai Sudharsan unavailable because of injury, Padikkal was given the No. 3 position for India’s opening Test against Sri Lanka. He did not simply take the opportunity. He grabbed it with both hands and produced the kind of innings that can change the direction of a young player’s career.

His 167 was his maiden Test century, his highest score in the format and the innings that put his name firmly into India’s No. 3 conversation. He followed it with a composed 44 in the second innings as India went on to beat Sri Lanka by 165 runs.

Across the Test, Padikkal made 211 runs, and his performance earned him Player of the Match honours.

But the story is bigger than one hundred.

What made Padikkal’s Galle performance so interesting was the amount of work that had gone into getting there. The innings looked effortless at times, but according to KL Rahul, there had been a lot happening behind the scenes while Padikkal waited for another chance.

And that is perhaps the most important part of this story.

Padikkal did not suddenly become a Test batter in Galle. He had been preparing for this moment for a long time.

The opportunity came because India needed a No. 3

India did not enter the Sri Lanka series with a completely settled No. 3 position.

Sai Sudharsan had been expected to be part of the batting group but was ruled out of the series with a toe injury. That opened the door for Padikkal, who had been waiting for another chance at Test level.

It was not the first time Padikkal had been around the Test setup, but this opportunity felt different.

He had already spent time in Sri Lanka with India A and had experience of the conditions. Before the Test, he also scored a century in India’s practice game against an SLC XI. Earlier in the India A matches, he had collected 173 runs across three innings.

So when he walked out at No. 3 in Galle, he wasn’t arriving completely cold.

He had already been scoring runs.

He knew the conditions.

And, perhaps most importantly, he knew that this could be the chance he had been waiting for.

Padikkal had been waiting — and working

One of the more revealing comments after his century came from KL Rahul.

Rahul has known Padikkal since his days in the Karnataka system and has watched him develop through the age-group ranks. He said Padikkal had spent the previous couple of years waiting for his opportunity while quietly working on different parts of his batting in the nets.

That detail makes the Galle innings even more interesting.

From the outside, it can look as though a player simply gets selected, scores a hundred and suddenly becomes a serious international option.

The reality is usually much slower.

There are long stretches when nobody is watching. Domestic games. Net sessions. Technical changes. Time spent with India A. Conversations with senior players. Waiting for an injury or a selection call to finally create a gap.

Padikkal had been through that process.

When the opening arrived, he was ready.

He himself said after reaching his century that he had dreamed of such a moment and had spent the previous two years working hard so that, when another opportunity came, he could make something special of it.

That is probably a better explanation for his success than simply saying he was “in form.”

The 167 was not just a big score

Padikkal’s final score was 167 from 230 balls, with 15 fours and a six.

Those numbers tell you that he scored at a healthy pace, but they don’t fully explain the innings.

What stood out was his comfort against spin.

Sri Lanka knew they would have to use their spinners heavily in Galle. Prabath Jayasuriya eventually took four wickets, and debutant Keshara Nuwantha also made an impact. Yet Padikkal managed to keep the pressure on them for much of his stay at the crease.

He was particularly comfortable using the depth of his crease and playing off the back foot.

That is a useful skill in Sri Lanka.

You cannot simply charge every spinner. Nor can you spend an entire innings stuck on the crease waiting for the ball to come to you.

Padikkal found a middle ground.

He defended when he needed to, but he was also prepared to punish anything loose.

That kept the Sri Lankan bowlers from settling into a comfortable rhythm.

He looked like a batter who had already played 20 Tests

Perhaps the most striking thing about the innings was the lack of panic.

Padikkal was playing only his third Test.

For a player with such limited international experience, he looked remarkably settled.

India had already lost Yashasvi Jaiswal, and there was a long innings ahead. Instead of trying to force the pace, Padikkal gradually built his innings.

He reached his first Test hundred in 134 balls and then kept going.

That second part is important.

Getting to a maiden Test century is one thing.

Knowing what to do after reaching it is another.

Padikkal spoke about this himself after the innings. He explained that the period immediately after reaching 100 is one he tries to treat very seriously because it is easy for a batter to relax after finally reaching the milestone.

His approach worked.

Instead of stopping at three figures, he pushed on to 150 and eventually made 167.

That is the sort of habit India will want from their No. 3.

The numbers put the innings into perspective

Padikkal’s 167 was not just his first Test century.

It put him into some impressive company.

He became only the fifth Indian batter to score 150 or more in a Test in Sri Lanka, joining Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag, Shikhar Dhawan and Cheteshwar Pujara.

He also went past Pujara’s previous best score by an Indian No. 3 in a Test in Sri Lanka. Pujara had made 153 in Galle in 2017.

Padikkal’s 167 is also the second-highest score by an Indian No. 3 against Sri Lanka, behind Rahul Dravid’s 177 in Ahmedabad in 2009.

There is another interesting detail.

Padikkal became the highest-scoring left-handed Indian No. 3 in an overseas Test, surpassing Ajit Wadekar’s previous mark of 143 against New Zealand in Wellington in 1968.

Those records are nice to have, but the bigger significance is what the innings tells India about their batting options.

They may have found a player who is genuinely comfortable in this role.

His second innings may have been just as important

The 167 will naturally get most of the attention.

But his 44 in the second innings deserves a little more appreciation.

It was a different situation.

India were setting Sri Lanka a target rather than trying to build the first-innings foundation. Sri Lanka’s bowlers had already spent a lot of time on the field, and the match was moving towards a result.

Padikkal did not need another hundred.

He needed to contribute.

He did that with a patient 44, helping India build enough of a lead before the declaration. His two innings were completely different, and that is a good sign for a Test batter.

A batter’s development is not just about producing one huge score.

It is about understanding what the team needs on different days.

Galle gave Padikkal both situations.

He passed both tests.

Why No. 3 could suit him

The No. 3 position is not an easy place to bat.

Sometimes you walk in within the first few overs with the new ball still moving.

Other times the openers have done their job and you arrive with the field spread and the bowlers already tired.

You have to be comfortable with both.

Padikkal’s technique and temperament appear suited to that uncertainty.

He has the height to play over the top when required, a good range of shots against spin and enough patience to leave balls outside his off stump.

His left-handedness is another useful factor for India.

With Jaiswal already at the top, having another left-hander at No. 3 changes the angles for opposition bowlers and can disrupt their preferred matchups.

But India should not pick him simply because he is left-handed.

The Galle innings showed there is considerably more to his game than that.

His red-ball background matters

Padikkal’s reputation grew significantly through white-ball cricket, particularly after his early success with Karnataka and the IPL.

That often created a strange perception around him.

Because people had seen the elegant strokeplay in T20 cricket, it was easy to assume that his game was primarily suited to limited-overs cricket.

Padikkal has always viewed himself differently.

Earlier this year, he spoke about growing up wanting to play Test cricket and said his game was moulded for the longest format. He also made it clear that becoming a permanent member of India’s Test side remained one of his ambitions.

Galle finally gave him a chance to demonstrate that side of his game on the biggest stage.

And he did not look like someone trying to adapt his batting into a Test innings.

He looked like a player who understood what Test batting required.

The Karnataka connection with KL Rahul has helped

There is a nice connection running through Padikkal’s story.

KL Rahul has been one of the senior figures who has watched him develop from his younger days in Karnataka.

The two were together in the middle for a significant part of India’s first innings in Galle.

That partnership was useful for Padikkal, but it was not simply about Rahul talking him through every ball.

Padikkal has spoken about learning from the experienced players around him, while Rahul has said they have had conversations over the years about what needed to improve in his game and what Test cricket in conditions like Sri Lanka would demand.

That kind of support can make a difference when a player is waiting for an opportunity.

More importantly, it shows that Padikkal’s development has not happened overnight.

The No. 3 debate is not completely over

It would be tempting to say Padikkal has now permanently solved India’s No. 3 problem.

Cricket is rarely that simple.

Sai Sudharsan remains part of India’s plans, and the team management has not suggested that Padikkal’s success automatically means Sudharsan has lost his place.

India batting coach Sitanshu Kotak has indicated that both players remain part of the team’s thinking and that adaptability and performances will matter more than simply attaching one name permanently to the position.

That is probably the right approach.

Padikkal has earned another opportunity.

He has not necessarily earned an automatic five-year contract at No. 3 because of one Test.

But he has done something much more important.

He has made it difficult for the selectors to leave him out.

What happens when Sai Sudharsan returns?

This could become one of India’s more interesting selection battles over the next year.

Sudharsan has already been given opportunities at Test level and has shown enough to remain in the conversation.

Padikkal now has a 167 to his name.

That changes the equation.

If both players are available, India will have to decide what they want from No. 3.

Sudharsan may offer his own strengths, while Padikkal brings a left-handed option with a proven ability to score heavily in Sri Lankan conditions.

The answer could also depend on form and the opposition.

India have enough batting depth to give themselves some flexibility.

And that is a good problem to have.

The most encouraging part: Padikkal did not look rushed

Perhaps the best takeaway from Galle was his temperament.

There was no obvious desperation to prove that he belonged.

That is understandable given the circumstances. Padikkal had waited a long time for this chance, and he knew people would be watching.

But instead of trying to justify his selection with every shot, he simply batted.

That sounds simple.

It isn’t.

A player waiting years for a Test opportunity can easily put too much pressure on himself.

Padikkal appeared to do the opposite.

He trusted the work he had put in.

That is why the innings looked so natural.

What the Galle hundred means for his future

The biggest change may not be in the statistics.

It may be in how Padikkal sees himself.

Before Galle, he was still a player trying to establish himself in Test cricket.

After Galle, he knows he can score a big hundred at this level.

That confidence can be extremely valuable.

KL Rahul made a similar point after the Test, saying that getting the first Test hundred early can help a batter get that psychological barrier out of the way and then focus on enjoying the game and producing bigger scores.

Padikkal now has that first hundred.

The next challenge is consistency.

Can he score 70s, 80s and hundreds regularly?

Can he perform in Australia, England and South Africa, where conditions will test a very different part of his technique?

Can he handle the pressure that comes with being expected to perform rather than simply being happy to get selected?

Those are the questions that will define his Test career.

Colombo is his next test

India’s second Test against Sri Lanka is now the immediate opportunity.

The conditions at the SSC in Colombo will not necessarily be identical to Galle, and Sri Lanka’s bowlers will have had time to study Padikkal.

He will no longer be an unknown.

That makes the second Test interesting.

Can he follow 167 with another substantial score?

He does not need another double hundred.

Even a controlled 70 or 80 would show that the Galle performance was not a one-off.

What will matter is how he handles the different phases of the innings.

If Sri Lanka attack him with spin early, can he remain patient?

If they bowl wider and try to frustrate him, can he resist the temptation to chase?

If they attack the stumps, can he use his scoring options without taking unnecessary risks?

Those are the small battles that will tell us much more about Padikkal than another headline statistic.

From waiting outside the XI to becoming difficult to drop

That is really what this story is about.

Padikkal did not enter the Sri Lanka series as India’s obvious No. 3.

He entered because an opportunity opened up.

He had already spent time with India A in Sri Lanka, scored runs in the practice game and prepared himself for exactly the kind of conditions he would face.

Then, when India needed him, he produced.

A maiden Test century.

167 runs.

44 in the second innings.

211 runs in the match.

Player of the Match.

And a place in the conversation about India’s long-term No. 3.

That is quite a turnaround from simply waiting for a chance.

Final verdict

It would be too early to call Devdutt Padikkal India’s permanent No. 3 after one Test.

But it would also be wrong to treat his Galle performance as just another good innings.

There was enough in it to suggest that Padikkal has made a genuine step forward as a red-ball batter.

He showed patience without becoming passive. He played spin with confidence. He converted a century into a big score. He then adapted his approach in the second innings. Most importantly, he looked comfortable with the responsibility of batting at No. 3.

And behind all of that was a couple of years of work that very few people saw.

Now everybody is watching.

That is probably the biggest change in Padikkal’s career.

For a long time, he was waiting for India to give him a proper opportunity.

In Galle, he gave India a reason to give him another one.

The next step is harder: turning a brilliant breakthrough into a long Test career.

If his Galle masterclass is any indication, Devdutt Padikkal may finally be ready for it.