India secured a commanding 165-run victory over Sri Lanka in the first Test of the two-match series at the Galle International Cricket Stadium, taking a 1-0 lead. Devdutt Padikkal was the standout performer for the visitors and was named Player of the Match after producing a superb 167 in India’s first innings. Speaking after the victory, Padikkal reflected on his memorable performance and praised India’s overall execution.

The left-hander was particularly pleased with how the team adapted to the conditions and maintained control during crucial phases of the Test. India made an excellent start after captain Shubman Gill won the toss and opted to bat. Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul initially provided a positive start, but Jaiswal was run out for 32. That brought Devdutt Padikkal to the crease at No. 3, and he quickly settled into the innings.

Padikkal and Rahul then produced a crucial 150-run partnership. While Rahul contributed a composed 82, Padikkal took responsibility for accelerating the scoring and went on to register a brilliant 167. It was a particularly significant innings for the Karnataka batter, who was playing at No. 3 for the first time in Tests.

Rishabh Pant, Dhruv Jurel, and Manav Suthar also made useful contributions as India eventually reached 462. The substantial total put Sri Lanka under immediate pressure, although the hosts showed considerable resistance during their first innings.

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India’s bowlers made early inroads before Sonal Dinusha and Niroshan Dickwella revived Sri Lanka’s innings. The pair shared a crucial sixth-wicket partnership, with Dinusha scoring a century and Dickwella making 80. Their efforts helped Sri Lanka reach 284 and avoid the follow-on, but India still secured a valuable 178-run first-innings lead. The visitors added another 193 runs in their second innings, with Pant producing an aggressive 66. His counter-attacking knock helped India set Sri Lanka a daunting target of 372.

Sri Lanka’s chase began poorly as India reduced them to 21/3. Dhananjaya de Silva and Dinusha once again attempted to rescue the innings, putting together a 95-run partnership. However, Dhananjaya’s dismissal for 59 triggered another collapse. Dinusha fought until the end with 84, but Sri Lanka was eventually bowled out, handing India a convincing 165-run victory.

For Devdutt Padikkal, the win was the perfect reward after a challenging journey in Test cricket. He made his debut in Dharamsala, subsequently played in Perth, and then produced his breakthrough performance in Galle.

Devdutt Padikkal named Player of the Match in this historic game. 🥇
India’s 600th Test match.
50th Test at Galle.
India’s Independence Day. 🇮🇳 pic.twitter.com/YVTZDxfGeU

— Mir Hamza Mughal (@7MirHamzaMughal) August 19, 2026

“It’s been one of those things in my career. I started in Dharamsala, then a Test in Perth, and now Galle. But I couldn’t have asked for anything better. The game was amazing. I think we played some really good cricket and really happy with the win,” Devdutt Padikkal said.

The 25-year-old also praised the Galle surface, describing it as a quality Test wicket despite the increasing assistance for spin as the match progressed.

“Definitely, I think the wicket had its natural wear and tear. But I think it was a great Test match wicket. All five days it played pretty well. It started to turn a lot more from the third day onwards,” he explained.

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Padikkal felt the relatively slow nature of the pitch also influenced how batters handled Sri Lanka’s left-arm spinners. According to him, the surface did not offer enough bite to make life extremely difficult for left-handed batters.

“It was a bit of a slowish wicket. It wasn’t providing that much bite off the wicket, so the left-handers were able to negotiate the left-arm spinners much better. I think that was the key,” Devdutt Padikkal concluded. With his maiden Test century, a Player of the Match award and India’s series lead, Padikkal could hardly have asked for a better outing in Galle.