Devdutt Padikkal, Shubman Gill and the trailer of a blockbuster

India’s Devdutt Padikkal and Skipper Shubman Gill run between wickets during Day 1 of the second Test cricket match against Sri Lanka at Sinhalese Sports Club, in Colombo on Sunday. (ANI Photo)

TimesofIndia.com in Colombo: Throughout the day, Sri Lanka remained very chirpy and carried an air of hostility in the middle. The fast bowlers bent their backs, close-in fielders wagged their tongues, and words flew thick and fast amid the mundanities of Day 1. The encouraging bounce off the surface helped, but Sri Lanka deserve all the credit for firing up proceedings with their four-man attack.While the scoreboard suggests otherwise, it was a gripping contest where patience remained the buzzword. Asitha Fernando and Lahiru Kumara made the good length their territory and regularly resorted to some chin music to make things happen. Amid all the drama, a passage of play after lunch saw Devdutt Padikkal and Shubman Gill give nothing away with their assured footwork, impeccable shot selection and solid defence, offering a trailer of what the future could hold.For over 35 overs, the left-right pair frustrated the hosts, grinding out their runs in old-fashioned style. They operated with considerable calmness, which the situation demanded after the early turbulence, the theatrics, send-off and animation after the Jaiswal wicket. The Day 1 juices were still flowing in the surface, and the hosts showed no hospitality.The scoreboard read 66/2, and India never felt in with an edgy start. The runs were scored at a fair clip, but Jaiswal’s approach and Rahul’s mode of dismissal kept the opposition interested. Gill knew the toss advantage had to be capitalised on, so he dropped anchor with Padikkal. Though the runs were not scored rapidly, their handling of that phase created a sense of flow. They played some gorgeous drives interspersed with blocks, dabs and assured leaves, complementing each other really well.

Galle [Sri Lanka], Aug 15 (ANI): India’s Devdutt Padikkal and skipper Shubman Gill run between wickets during day 1 of the 1st Test match against Sri Lanka, at Galle International Stadium in Galle on Saturday. (ANI Photo)

If Galle was all about ending the long wait for the weight of runs from the No. 3, Colombo will be remembered for a partnership which could become the central piece of India’s batting. This was only the third time India’s No. 3 and No. 4 batters formed a hundred-run partnership since 2019. The previous instances featured the pairs of Virat Kohli and Sarfaraz Khan (136 against New Zealand in 2024), and Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane (111 against South Africa in 2022).Interestingly, the last time an India No. 3 scored hundreds in back-to-back Tests was in the 2018-19 Border-Gavaskar Trophy, when Cheteshwar Pujara followed up his 106 at the MCG with a 193 at the SCG. Years later, Padikkal repeated the feat in Galle and Colombo. Every successful batting line-up needs central characters to form a formidable unit, and Gill and Padikkal could be just that.

Devdutt Padikkal (BCCI Photo)

It’s been worth the wait and will make Gautam Gambhir sigh with relief as the team’s batting pieces are finally falling into place. The head coach had again mentioned the transition in the pre-match press conference, but the batting is now beginning to wear a settled look. For a management that was forced to play Dhruv Jurel due to a lack of quality specialist options, a happy headache of options will certainly be a welcome change in scenery.In Padikkal and Gill, India have all-weather operators who are equally adept against both spin and pace, handle the short ball well and have very mature heads on their shoulders. They have the ingredients to stage a recovery from 0/2, rebuild from 66/2, like on Day 1, and feast from 150/2. Even during different periods and situations, their unique style never compromises flow and allows them to ride the different ebbs and flows of a multi-day fixture.The sample size isn’t big enough, but the signals are strong for a blockbuster in the making. Had Gill not succumbed to a loose shot at the stroke of tea, the scoreboard could have read much worse for the hosts. India have long yearned for combined volume and consistency from the pair, No. 3 and No. 4, and will hope the wait for weight has finally ended in Colombo.Brief ScoresIndia 1st innings: 300 for 5 in 85 overs (Devdutt Padikkal 117, Shubman Gill 50; Asitha Fernando 3/46)