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First Move  ·  Men's Cricket  · 
Out in the middle — Sunday morning, 16 August

Devdutt Padikkal's maiden century puts India in control against Sri Lanka before rain frustrates Day 2 in Galle.

Devdutt Padikkal's unbeaten 131 anchored India's dominant Day 1, setting a strong foundation in the crucial two-Test series.

EDITION 2026-08-16 · EVERY CLAIM SOURCED · GROUNDED VIA SEARCH AT PUBLISH
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The story

At the historic Galle International Cricket Stadium, India asserted dominance on Day 1 of the first Test against Sri Lanka. After captain Shubman Gill won the toss and elected to bat, India finished the day at a commanding 288/2.

Opener Yashasvi Jaiswal contributed a brisk 32 before an unfortunate run-out. KL Rahul anchored the innings with a composed 77, forming a crucial 150-run partnership with Devdutt Padikkal before retiring hurt due to severe cramps.

Padikkal, making a spectacular return to the Test side, smashed his maiden Test century, remaining unbeaten on 131 off 178 balls. Rishabh Pant provided support, staying 27 not out at stumps.

For Sri Lanka, Prabath Jayasuriya claimed the only bowling wicket, dismissing Shubman Gill for 16. Day 2, however, has been heavily impacted by persistent rain, leading to delayed starts and interruptions, with India's score remaining unchanged at 288/2.

Latest results

MatchFormatResultStar
India vs Sri LankaTestIndia 288/2 (Day 1 stumps; Day 2 rain-affected)Devdutt Padikkal 131*
Bangladesh vs AustraliaTestBangladesh won by 9 wicketsTanzid Hasan 110, Hasan Mahmud 6/78

Series in play

India tour of Sri Lanka (2 Tests). 1st Test, India 288/2 (Day 2 rain-affected)

Australia tour of Bangladesh (2 Tests). Bangladesh lead 1-0 (won 1st Test by 9 wickets)

Tables that matter

CompetitionPositionNote
ICC World Test Championship1. Australia (77.77 PCT)Australia maintain a marginal lead despite their loss to Bangladesh.
ICC World Test Championship2. South Africa (75.00 PCT)South Africa are close behind Australia in the race for the final.
ICC World Test Championship4. Bangladesh (66.67 PCT)Bangladesh jumped to fourth after their historic win over Australia.
ICC World Test Championship5. India (48.15 PCT)India look to improve their standing with a strong performance against Sri Lanka.

What we'll be watching

Reporting + analyst voices: grounded via Google Search at publish time.