Devdutt Padikkal Becomes First Indian Left-Hander Since Sourav Ganguly to Slam Test Ton at No. 3

Galle, August 15: Devdutt Padikkal’s unbeaten 131 against Sri Lanka has given India’s search for a dependable No. 3 a significant boost, but the innings has also placed the Karnataka left-hander in an exclusive chapter of Indian Test history.

Padikkal became only the second Indian left-handed batter to score a Test century from No. 3 in the 21st century, joining Sourav Ganguly. More significantly, he achieved the feat away from home, scoring his maiden Test hundred on a spin-friendly Galle surface in the opening Test against Sri Lanka.

The innings came in Padikkal’s first Test appearance in Sri Lanka after he replaced the injured Sai Sudharsan in India’s playing XI. He reached his century from 134 balls and was unbeaten on 131 at the close of the opening day.

Sourav Ganguly Was The First

The precedent Padikkal has now matched was established by Ganguly almost exactly three decades earlier.

On June 20, 1996, the Bengal cricketer made his Test debut against England at Lord’s in London. Batting at No. 3, he scored 131 off 301 balls, with 20 fours, in his first Test innings. It remains one of the most celebrated debut performances by an Indian batter.

Ganguly followed that with another century in the same series. At Trent Bridge, Nottingham, in the third Test beginning on July 4, 1996, he scored 136, again batting at No. 3.

Padikkal’s Century Has A Wider Statistical Context

India have produced a remarkable succession of No. 3 batters, from Ajit Wadekar and Mohinder Amarnath to Dilip Vengsarkar, Rahul Dravid and Cheteshwar Pujara. But overseas hundreds from the position have been considerably harder to come by.

Batting great Rahul Dravid remains the overwhelming benchmark. He scored 10,501 Test runs at No. 3, including 28 centuries, and his record outside India was particularly impressive.

In the post-Dravid era, Cheteshwar Pujara subsequently carried the position for India, scoring more than 6,500 runs and 18 centuries at No. 3.

Padikkal’s Galle hundred now gives the next generation its first major overseas statement at the position.

Indian Batters With Test Centuries At No. 3 Away From Home

The list, spanning several generations of Indian Test cricket, includes some of the country’s most accomplished top-order batters.

The individual century records for Dravid show that he scored overseas hundreds at No. 3 in South Africa, New Zealand, Sri Lanka, England, Australia, Pakistan, Bangladesh and the West Indies.

Pujara’s century record similarly confirms his eight away hundreds at No. 3, including 153 at Johannesburg, 153 at Galle, 133 at Colombo, 132* at Southampton and his three Australian hundreds in Adelaide, Melbourne and Sydney.

Rahane’s 126 against Sri Lanka at Colombo in August 2015 is another particularly notable entry because it came while he batted at No. 3, rather than his more familiar No. 5 position.

Padikkal’s name now sits alongside those players, although it would be premature to draw comparisons with their careers after one Test century. What makes his Galle innings particularly interesting is the circumstances.

He was not an established No. 3 walking into a settled batting order. He was given the opportunity because of Sudharsan’s injury, having first strengthened his case with an unbeaten 142 in the practice match.