Devdutt Padikkal goes past 4,000 First-Class runs: Dissecting his stats
What's the story
Team India is in a strong position against Sri Lanka in the first Test in Galle. Devdutt Padikkal has been the team's ace performer in this game. After scoring a record 167 in India's first innings, the southpaw registered a valuable 44 on Day 4. These knocks powered him past 4,000 runs in First-Class cricket. Here are his stats.
Match dynamics
A fine hand from Padikkal
Though India had gained a massive 178-run first-innings lead, their second innings started on a rough note with opener Yashasvi Jaiswal dismissed for a duck.
However, KL Rahul and Padikkal steadied the ship with a 65-run partnership before Prabath Jayasuriya broke it by dismissing the former for 35.
Padikkal continued to bat with intent and took his side past 100. He eventually fell to Keshara Nuwantha for a 75-ball 44.
This knock was laced with six fours.
Stats
10 tons in First-Class cricket
Padikkal made a sensational 167 off 230 balls in India's first innings, having hit 15 fours and a six.
With his 44 on Day 4, the batter has raced to 4,011 runs across 57 First-Class matches at an average of 43-plus, as per Cricinfo.
The one in Galle was his 10th First-Class hundred, as he also owns 21 fifties.
Test cricket
Padikkal shines on Test return
Notably, Padikkal had played just two Tests before featuring in the ongoing affair, scoring 90 runs with the help of a fifty.
However, his previous appearance came in November 2024. The batter now has 301 runs across five innings at 60.20.
211 of his runs came in the Galle Test.
New Zealand's Stephen Fleming (274 in Colombo, 2003 & 252 in Colombo, 1998) and Bangladesh's Mohammad Ashraful (212 in Galle, 2013) are the only other visiting number-three batters to aggregate 200-plus runs in a Test on Sri Lankan soil.
Landmarks
More feats for Padikkal
As per Cricbuzz, Padikkal became just the second left-hander to score a Test hundred from No. 3 for India in the 21st century.
He also became the third Indian with a 150-plus score against Sri Lanka from No. 3.
Virender Sehwag (201* in Galle, 2008), Sachin Tendulkar (203 in Colombo, 2010), and Shikhar Dhawan (190 in Galle, 2017) are the only Indians with a higher individual score than Padikkal's 167 in Sri Lanka.