Devdutt Padikkal scores a century while Pant and Jurel struggle on day 2 against SLC XI, assessing India's batting performance.

Devdutt Padikkal showcased his batting prowess on the second day of the warm-up match against Sri Lanka Cricket XI in Colombo, scoring an impressive unbeaten 142 runs. This performance significantly bolsters his chances of securing a spot in India’s playing XI for the upcoming first Test against Sri Lanka. As the day concluded, India found themselves at 357 for six, just six runs shy of Sri Lanka XI’s first-innings total of 363.

Padikkal's innings, which came off just 121 balls, featured 18 boundaries and highlighted his ability to adapt to the favorable batting conditions. His century is particularly noteworthy as it positions him as a potential replacement for Sai Sudharsan, who has been ruled out of the Test series due to a toe injury. The day began on a challenging note for India, with opener Yashasvi Jaiswal dismissed for a duck on the second ball of the innings, falling to left-arm seamer Vishwa Fernando.

Following Jaiswal's early exit, Padikkal formed a solid partnership with KL Rahul, adding 96 runs for the second wicket. Rahul contributed 40 runs before Padikkal began to assert his dominance, employing a variety of shots including his signature 'Nataraja Shot' and effective pulls against the pace bowlers. He reached his century with a pull shot off off-spinner Ramesh Mendis before opting to retire from the innings.

Ravindra Jadeja also made a significant contribution, scoring 63 runs before retiring, and forming a 72-run partnership with Padikkal. Jadeja later added another 76 runs alongside Manav Suthar, who scored 41 in his first international outing overseas. However, the day was less fruitful for Rishabh Pant and Dhruv Jurel, who both struggled to make an impact. Pant managed only two runs before being dismissed by Mendis, while Jurel scored just one run before falling to the same bowler.

As the innings progressed, Padikkal returned to the crease to add four more boundaries alongside Saransh Jain, who retired after scoring 22. Overall, Padikkal's stellar performance, along with Jadeja's contributions, stood out on a day when many of their teammates faced difficulties at the wicket.