Padikkal Nears Dravid's Mark in Thrilling Test Against Sri Lanka

Indian batter Devdutt Padikkal delivered a stunning performance, narrowly missing Rahul Dravid's record against Sri Lanka. Despite a strong start with 167, Padikkal's second innings ended at 44. India leads in the Galle Test with a substantial lead, while Sri Lanka struggles to bridge the gap.

Indian cricketer Devdutt Padikkal delivered a remarkable performance on Tuesday, almost breaking Rahul Dravid's long-standing record against Sri Lanka. In the first innings, Padikkal scored a splendid 167 off 230 balls. However, he was dismissed for just 44 in the second innings due to a leg-before-wicket appeal from Keshara Nuwantha.

Padikkal amassed a total of 211 runs, the highest by an Indian number three in a Test match against Sri Lanka since Dravid's 215 in the 2009 Ahmedabad Test. Dravid remains the record-holder for most runs by an Indian number three in a match, with his legendary 305 against Australia at Adelaide in 2003.

Despite a shaky second innings with India losing nine wickets under 200 runs, they managed a lead of 369. Rishabh Pant and Dhruv Jurel remained unbeaten at 116/4, extending India's lead to 294 runs. Sri Lanka's Sonal Dinusha scored a maiden Test century, aiding the team's effort but they could only achieve 284 against India's 462 in the Galle Test, led by Shubman Gill.