After a draw against Sri Lanka at Colombo in the second Test, which saw India being denied a clean sweep, batters Devdutt Padikkal and Rishabh Pant shared some battle scars after grinding it hard in testing conditions, with Sonal Dinusha tiring out Indian bowlers and fielders with his twin centuries. Dinusha clean-swept India’s hopes of a clean sweep and an improved position in the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) table as India were forced to settle for a draw, with the Lankan Lions fighting really hard after facing a follow-on and keeping Team India on what looked like an endless leather hunt for four days of the Test match. Other than some rain interruptions and the conclusion of day’s play, there were not many opportunities for Indian players to rest their legs and touch their bats again in the second innings.
Padikkal was India’s top run-getter with 328 runs in three innings at an average of 109.33, with two centuries and a best score of 117. Now in four Tests and six innings, he has made 418 runs at an average of 69.66, including two centuries and a fifty. Pant was the fifth-highest run-getter in the series, with 168 runs in three innings at an average of 56.00 and a strike rate of over 76, with two fifties and best score of 66. Coming to the match, India opted to bat first, with centuries from Padikkal (117 in 193 balls, with 12 fours), Dhruv Jurel (115* in 177 balls, with nine fours and two sixes) and half-centuries from Rishabh Pant (63 in 89 balls, with six fours and two sixes) and skipper Gill (50 in 108 balls, with six fours) taking India to 503/9, with Asitha Fernando taking four-fer.
