International selection doors rarely open with a polite knock, and in the case of the India team, such is the competition, even when they do, perhaps it's unclear how long it will stay open. Ahead of the first Test against Sri Lanka in Galle, Devdutt Padikkal was afforded the opportunity to walk through such a door.
Incumbent No. 3 B Sai Sudharsan, who had spent the past year cementing his ownership of that vital top-order anchor role, is in danger of missing the entire Test series - and Padikkal, with all of two Tests under his belt, is the ever-ready understudy.
Walking out to the crease on day two of India's tour match against Sri Lanka Cricket XI at NCC, Padikkal was under immediate pressure. Opener Yashasvi Jaiswal had just been dismissed for a second-ball duck, leaving India at 0 for 1, but what followed was a clinic in technical discipline and intent. Padikkal methodically dismantled the opposition's attack on his way to a breezy 121-ball century featuring 14 boundaries, before retiring out for 103, and as if to hammer home the point, he would return later after the fall of India's eighth wicket to continue his dominance without missing a beat.
What elevated Padikkal's innings was his supreme situational awareness, showcased through two vastly different, yet equally vital partnerships. In KL Rahul, Padikkal found an experienced ally, as the duo proceeded to blunt Vishwa Fernando's early swing, focusing heavily on strike rotation.
At one end, Rahul made a patient 40 off 67 balls, which allowed Padikkal to find his rhythm at the other. Assuming the role of aggressor, the 26-year-old left-hander struck a pair of boundaries off Isitha Wijesundara in the 12th over to signify a shift in tempo - the first a punch through point, the next a late cut behind square - before a sumptuous on-drive from Rahul brought up India's 50 off just 72 deliveries. By the time Kesara Nuwantha had cleaned up Rahul, the scoreboard read 96 for 2 with the initial crisis averted.
With the foundation laid, Ravindra Jadeja arrived at the crease with spin already front and centre. But having crossed his fifty (off 61 deliveries) before Rahul's dismissal, Padikkal remained unfazed, using his massive stride to neutralise the spin threat and sweeping with authority. Jadeja's trademark fast running between wickets, meanwhile, kept the fielders under constant pressure.
The pair's 72-run partnership came off just 98 deliveries, before an unflustered Padikkal made way upon reaching his ton. In the process, he had presented a compelling case to the team management surrounding a more permanent inclusion, one that he has been building steadily over the past two seasons.
Tour match or not, this innings was a continuation of Padikkal's most recent domestic cycles, which he has spent piling up the runs, and knocking increasingly more impatiently on the national team's door.
During the 2023-24 Ranji Trophy campaign, the Karnataka left-hander was virtually unstoppable. He plundered 556 runs in just four matches at a staggering average of 92.66, including three hundreds. This was the breakout that earned him a Test debut against England in 2024 in Dharamsala, where he scored a fluent 65.
Rather than resting on his laurels, Padikkal returned to the 2025-26 domestic season to consolidate his growing status, and proceeded to dominate every tournament he touched. In the Ranji Trophy, his 543 runs at an average of 60.33 were punctuated by a career-best, marathon 232 against Uttarakhand in the semi-final; in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, he struck a staggering 725 runs at an elite average of 90.62; and in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, his 309 runs came at a strike rate of 167.02.
Generally with a side that possesses the abundance of proverbial riches that India has, even a talent such as Padikkal might be forced to bide his time. But the untimely injury to Sai Sudharsan might be exactly the right time for Padikkal.
It is a true like-for-like transition, with head coach Gautam Gambhir having made no secret of his tactical appreciation for a left-handed presence in the top order. Furthermore, India's upcoming assignment in Galle is widely expected to be a spin trap. Padikkal's physical and technical attributes make him uniquely suited to counter all it offers - something highlighted by his success with India A at the same venue just a few weeks ago, where he used his long stride to great effect.
Warm-up matches are designed to test a player's readiness, and if there was ever any doubt's around Padikkal's, he has done all he can to clear them. So while Sai Sudharsan's foot injury, one which it is still unclear on how long it will keep him out, is a bitter blow for India, in Padikkal, India have a star in the making; a plug-and-play replacement who just so happens to be in the form of his life.