Padikkal, Jurel withstand SL spin test to take India to 460-9 on rain…

For more than four hours on Sunday, the Galle International Stadium outfield was bathed in a protective sheath of blue and green covers as the rain beat down with ruthless relentlessness. When play eventually resumed at 2.35 pm on Day Two of the first Test, however, India moved the game forward with enterprise, finishing a truncated afternoon on a healthy 460-9, a position from where they can expect to call the shots over the next couple of days.

Bathed under covers for extended periods, the surface offered the bowlers a lot more on the second afternoon, but with Devdutt Padikkal standing firm and Dhruv Jurel producing a polished half-century, India had an answer to nearly every question Sri Lankan tweakers Prabath Jayasuriya and Keshara Nuwantha, the debutant off-spinner, asked.

Padikkal built on his maiden Test hundred by wending his way to 167, the fourth-highest individual score by an Indian in this country, replicating his poise and composure of the previous day. With India kicking on from 288-2, Padikkal quickly hit his straps as he and Rishabh Pant extended their alliance to 71 when the second new ball finally brought the hosts some joy in the very first over it was summoned. freshyourfeel.com

Giving Nuwantha the charge, Pant only managed to splice the ball for Sonal Dinusha to complete a smart running catch from mid-off. KL Rahul, who resumed his innings on 77 after retiring hurt with cramps, didn’t last long, punching the offie to short-leg, and Padikkal’s five-and-a-half-hour vigil eventually came to an end as he walked past a straight delivery from Jayasuriya to be easily stumped.

If Sri Lanka entertained hopes of wrapping up the innings quickly, they were in for a disappointment. Jurel, batting ahead of Ravindra Jadeja at No. 6, was assured in defence and decisive in stroke-production. Even as the ball turned and the top was disturbed from time to time, he trusted his technique to bring up a compact half-century and justify the faith shown by head coach Gautam Gambhir.

On match eve, skipper Shubman Gill had spoken with passion about Manav Suthar’s batting credentials and the left-arm spinner didn’t disappoint, holding his own during a 55-run seventh-wicket stand with Jurel. Sri Lanka toiled manfully and Dhananjaya de Silva produced a screamer at slip to pack off Jurel, but still India finished the day as strong as they had started it.

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167
No of runs scored by Devdutt Padikkal in the first innings; the fourth-highest individual score by an Indian in Tests in Sri Lanka

Brief scores
India 460-9 (D Padikkal 167, KL Rahul 82, D Jurel 51; P Jayasuriya 4-109, K Nuwantha 3-175) vs Sri Lanka

In the first Test match against Sri Lanka, Team India posted a total of 460 runs for the loss of nine wickets in 116 overs at stumps on Day 2.

Team India's Kuldeep Yadav and Prasidh Krishna will resume Day 3 with the scores of 12 and one run, respectively.

Sri Lanka's Prabath Jayasuriya has claimed four wickets by conceding 109 runs in 36 overs. Keshara Nuwantha also bagged three wickets by leaking 175 runs in 39 overs. Asitha Fernando has also chipped in with one wicket.

Lahiru Kumara, Dhananjaya de Silva, and Sonal Dinusha will continue the hunt for their first wicket.

Earlier, Dhruv Jurel delivered a knock of 51 runs before returning to the pavilion. Facing 68 balls, he smashed four boundaries and a maximum. Ravindra Jadeja managed to score 13 runs in 25 balls, including a boundary, whereas Manav Suthar registered 24 runs off 43 balls, with the help of two boundaries. Mohammed Siraj also scored 11 runs in 15 balls, including a maximum.

With this, the visitors have dominated the first two days of the first Test match against the Sri Lankans.

Earlier, the start of the game was delayed due to rain.

Devdutt Padikkal returned to the pavilion after delivering a stunning knock of 167 runs. Facing 230 deliveries, the left-handed batsman smashed 15 boundaries and a maximum. Playing his first Test since featuring against Australia in Perth in 2024, the 26-year-old left-hander showcased his growing maturity at the international level. Earlier in the day, Padikkal combined with KL Rahul for a dominant 150-run second-wicket stand.

Wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant managed to score 39 runs in 62 balls, with the help of four boundaries and a maximum.

Rahul, who retired hurt on the previous day, returned with his willow on Day 2. The right-handed batsman garnered 82 runs off 175 deliveries. His knock was laced with 10 boundaries and a maximum. Team India's opening batsman Yashasvi Jaiswal departed after scoring 32 runs in 37 balls, including five boundaries.

Skipper Shubman Gill managed to score 16 runs off 28 balls, including two boundaries.

This is a dream-come-true moment for the Super Giants franchise. After years of waiting, they won their first-ever trophy in a T20 franchise league.

Manchester Super Giants emerged as the winner of the Men's The Hundred competition. Sanjiv Goenka could not hold himself back from expressing the joy he had dreamt of for season after season.

Sanjiv Goenka shares an emotional post after winning The Hundred

Sanjiv Goenka, the co-owner of the Super Giants franchise, shared a heartfelt post on social media after winning The Hundred title. In his emotional social media post, he specifically mentioned Tim Seifert, Noor Ahmad, and the Manchester Super Giants captain, Jos Buttler, for their standout performances in the final against the Trent Rockets. It was the Super Giants' first-ever season in the league, and they won it in their debut season.

"What a night it has been at Lord's, a proud moment for all of us in the Super Giants family. This was a team effort from the first game to the last. Tim, what an innings. Noor, a brilliant spell with the ball and wickets at the times we needed them. Jos has led from the front all season, and the way the whole squad came together through the knockouts is what turned this season around," Sanjiv Goenka wrote on his 'X' post.

"Congratulations to Jos and to every player who made this happen. And a special thank you to our supporters; you willed this team on all the way. This one is for you," Sanjiv Goenka added.

Champions in our very first season! @ManchesterSG100

What a night it has been at Lord's, a proud moment for all of us in the Super Giants family. This was a team effort from the first game to the last. Tim, what an innings. Noor, a brilliant spell with the ball and wickets at… pic.twitter.com/fNOO18Wpfe

— Dr. Sanjiv Goenka (@DrSanjivGoenka) August 16, 2026

Sanjiv Goenka's Super Giants are yet to win a trophy in the IPL and SA20 leagues

While it was the debut season for the franchise in The Hundred league, they have been associated with the Indian Premier League (IPL) for seven years, and four seasons in South Africa's SA20 league.

They spent crores only in the IPL for the Rising Pune Super Giants (now defunct) and then the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), without lifting the trophy for a single season. Same for them in the SA20. They are yet to claim the trophy in the Twenty20 league after playing four seasons there.

Tim Seifert played a stormy innings in the final of The Hundred

For their debut The Hundred season, Manchester Super Giants created a strong line-up with the England-experienced keeper-batter Jos Buttler, New Zealand's explosive opener Tim Seifert, South Africa's Heinrich Klaasen, and for the bowling, there were Noor Ahmed, Gus Atkinson, Liam Dawson, Josh Tongue, and many other notable names.

In the final, Seifert was named the player of the match for his 72-run innings from 38 balls. Manchester Super Giants chased down the target of 159 with ease, thanks to Seifert's stormy knock and the team game they produced across all departments in the grand finale.

While Seifert was the best performer with the bat, Afghanistan spinner Noor Ahmed led the bowling attack, claiming three wickets for 33 runs in 20 balls. Sonny Bakery also contributed well with a brace in his spell.

India were bowled out for 462 in their first innings on the third day of the opening Test against Sri Lanka here on Monday.

Devdutt Padikkal top-scored for India with a mammoth knock of 167 that ended on Sunday.

Resuming their innings at 460 for nine, India managed to add just two runs before the final wicket fell, with Asitha Fernando dismissing Prasidh Krishna.

For Sri Lanka, Prabath Jayasuriya was the pick of the bowlers, finishing with figures of 4/109. Keshara Nuwantha claimed 3/175, while Fernando took 2/63.

India’s total was built around Padikkal’s outstanding knock, which anchored their first-innings effort.

On the second day of the Test, the first two sessions were washed out due to incessant rain.

Brief scores: India 462 all out in 116.4 overs (KL Rahul 82, Devdutt Padikkal 167, Dhruv Jurel 51; Prabath Jayasuriya 4/109, Keshara Nuwantha 3/175, Asitha Fernando 2/63).