Former India player turned commentator Aakash Chopra has praised Devdutt Padikkal for scoring a ton in the first Test against Sri Lanka. He also stated that the No. 3 batter ended a long century drought for India at that position as well. Padikkal scored an unbeaten 131 off 178 balls as India ended Day 1 (Saturday, August 15) in Galle at 288/2 in their first innings as well. Rishabh Pant (27* off 36) was the other unbeaten batter in the middle at Stumps on Day 1 as well.

In a video shared on his YouTube channel, ‘Aakash Chopra,’ he said, “No one had struck a century at No. 3 for India in 19 Tests and 35 innings, and that century drought has been ended. Devdutt Padikkal has done that job. He got a chance to play just his third game in two-and-a-half years. Sai Sudharsan was playing at No. 3, but he got injured, and someone else came and scored runs straightaway. Suddenly, it creates a slight pressure on Sai. Although a good team is one that reinstates someone who went out due to injury, Sai’s case is such that he has scored runs, but not so many that you go towards him.”

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However, Aakash Chopra also said that Devdutt Padikkal hasn’t got many opportunities despite playing a 65-run knock in his debut Test.

“Great things haven’t happened with Devdutt Padikkal. He made his debut two-and-a-half years ago in Dharamsala against England. He scored a fifty as well, and then he was sitting outside. Then he got a Test match in Perth because Rohit Sharma wasn’t there. He scored 0 off 23 balls in the first innings and 25 in the second innings for sure,” he said.

“However, after that, he was dropped again not only for the entire series, but he didn’t get to play a single Test in 2025. Now that he has gotten a chance, he scored a century, and the good thing was that the shot selection was impeccable. He used the depth of the crease extremely well. He looked in complete control,” he concluded.