Devdutt Padikkal completed his second Test hundred in three matches and became the first India No.3 since Cheteshwar Pujara in 2018-19 to score centuries in consecutive away Tests, guiding India to 300 for 5 on a mixed opening day of the second Test against Sri Lanka at the Sinhalese Sports Club.

Early reprieves set up Padikkal's masterclass

After being dropped on 0 and 1, Padikkal made Sri Lanka pay with a fine 117, following his 167 in Galle. He was first put down at backward point by Sonal Dinusha off Lahiru Kumara and then spilled by Dhananjaya de Silva at first slip off Keshara Nuwantha before building substantial partnerships.

India made a steady start after opting to bat, but Sri Lanka struck twice to keep the opening session in balance. Yashasvi Jaiswal was the more aggressive opener, reaching 45 with nine fours before falling to Asitha Fernando, edging onto his stumps after an inside edge. KL Rahul fell for 18, misjudging a slash at Kumara to give Niroshan Dickwella a straightforward catch after lofting Prabath Jayasuriya for a six.

Padikkal and Shubman Gill negotiated the remaining overs without further damage to take India to 88 for 2 at Lunch. After the break the pair added 120 for the third wicket, with Sri Lanka struggling on a pitch that offered little assistance. Pacers resorted to short-pitched bowling and spinners operated outside leg stump, but neither approach troubled the pair consistently.

Gill fifty and Padikkal century before Tea and beyond

Padikkal brought up his fifty with a well-placed drive and the stand crossed 100 soon after. Gill moved through the 40s with minimal fuss and brought up a well-made fifty in the 50th over. The stand ended when Gill gifted Fernando his second wicket, slashing loosely outside off to Dickwella.

Rishabh Pant survived a confident LBW appeal from Fernando off his only ball before Tea, with ball-tracking showing the delivery would have missed leg stump. India went into the interval at 187 for 3 with Padikkal unbeaten on 63.

After Tea Pant retired hurt on 3 after being struck on the wrist by a Lahiru Kumara short ball, and Ravindra Jadeja joined Padikkal. The pair added 74 before Padikkal was bowled by a sharply turning delivery from Keshara Nuwantha after facing 192 balls. He had reached his second Test hundred in the first over after the drinks break, earning fist bumps from Dhananjaya de Silva and Niroshan Dickwella.

Sri Lanka opted for the second new ball and Fernando removed Jadeja for 43, shouldering arms, before debutant Saransh Jain struck a boundary to bring up 300 in the final over. Brief scores: India 300/5, Devdutt Padikkal 117, Shubman Gill 50, Yashasvi Jaiswal 45, Ravindra Jadeja 43; Asitha Fernando 3-46.

Fernando's diesel engine effort for Sri Lanka

Asitha Fernando was Sri Lanka's most successful bowler with 3 for 46 from 15 overs. Sri Lanka bowling coach Ryan van Niekerk described the 29-year-old as "a bit like a diesel engine. The more he goes, the better he gets and the longer he goes. From his point of view, it's actually putting in the time of bowling a lot".

Fernando bowled 16 overs split into five short bursts and was managed carefully by Dhananjaya de Silva in the searing heat. He removed Jaiswal, Gill and Jadeja, with all three wickets coming from the 6-8m zone for just six runs. Thirty-one of his 90 deliveries were short balls as he probed for an error against Padikkal, who faced 18 bouncers and collected nine runs from them.

With a fresh ball available for Day 2, Sri Lanka will look to Fernando and Lahiru Kumara to make early inroads after India finished the day with five wickets down.