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India beat Sri Lanka XI by six wickets in their three-day warm-up match in Colombo, with Devdutt Padikkal’s unbeaten 142 the standout performance of the match. Captain Shubman Gill, who had missed Day 2 due to a finger injury, returned to make 41 in the chase as India head into the first Test at Galle on August 15 in confident form.
Three days, four innings and a six-wicket win that went down to the last over. Mohammed Siraj sealed it with three towering sixes, Devdutt Padikkal anchored it with an unbeaten 142, and India’s Test squad head into the first Test at Galle on August 15 with considerably more confidence than they arrived in Colombo with.
Colombo, Sri Lanka: India’s three-day warm-up match at the Nondescripts Cricket Club Ground was agreed under distinctive terms: 90 overs per side across the first two days, 45 overs each on the final day — an arrangement designed to give both batters and bowlers adequate preparation time ahead of the Test series. It produced competitive cricket on all three days and, on the final afternoon, the kind of dramatic finish that suggested India’s lower order might be more valuable than pre-tour projections allowed.
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The match had a subplot before a ball was bowled. Captain Shubman Gill, who had suffered a knock to his right ring finger during training on the eve of Day 1, unable to field and absent from India’s batting order on Day 2. The injury cast a shadow over the entire first day’s play, with KL Rahul leading the side. By Day 3, Gill was back at the crease, made 44, and alleviated — though did not entirely remove — the concern surrounding his readiness for the first Test.
Day 1: Sri Lanka XI Set the Platform
Sri Lanka XI won the toss and elected to bat on a flat track at the Nondescripts Club Ground. The format proved ideal for their openers. Nishan Madushka and Ravindu Rasantha batted with clarity and ambition from the first over — both reading the conditions quickly, both finding the boundary with a regularity that pushed the asking questions back towards India’s bowlers. Their opening partnership was worth 110 runs before Madushka fell for 66, his ninth four taking him to fifty from 52 balls.
Rasantha was the cornerstone of the day. He batted into the afternoon session, made 71, and shared further partnerships with Pasindu Sooriyabandara (who made 38) and the middle order before India’s spinners began to exert control. Ravindra Jadeja took 2 wickets, Kuldeep Yadav took 2, and Manav Suthar — the left-arm spinner from Gujarat in the squad as Jadeja’s backup — also picked up 2 wickets in a promising first-class showing. Captain Sonal Dinusha made a composed 52 to push the total past 350 before Sri Lanka XI were bowled out for 363 for 8 from 90 overs, declaring on their overnight score.
Day 2: Padikkal Stands Alone
India’s batting on Day 2 did not begin as their preparation demanded. Yashasvi Jaiswal fell second ball — a dismissal that will have concerned the touring management given his importance at the top of the order. KL Rahul made a patient 40 before becoming Ramesh Mendis’ first wicket of the day. Rishabh Pant, who had been fluent in the nets, lasted only two deliveries against Mendis before being dismissed for 2. At 170 for 3, India were in trouble.
What followed was the most important innings of the three-day match — and arguably the most important innings of Devdutt Padikkal’s Test career to date. The left-hander, who played India’s Test matches against Bangladesh and New Zealand last year without making the kind of contribution that commands a permanent place, batted through every phase of the day with a composure that belied his age. He reached his century from 121 balls — textbook in its construction, the straight drive and the on-side flick his primary scoring shots — and then kept going. Ravindra Jadeja made 63 before retiring hurt, giving way for the lower order. Manav Suthar added a useful 41. Gurnoor Brar provided late fireworks with a quickfire 36 not out, including four sixes in the final over of the day.
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Padikkal was still there at stumps, unbeaten on 142, as India closed on 357 for 6 from their 90 overs — just six runs behind Sri Lanka XI. Shubman Gill did not bat on Day 2, his finger requiring a further day’s rest.
Day 3: Gill Returns, Siraj Finishes
Sri Lanka XI declared their second innings at 200 for 6 from 45 overs, setting India a target of 207 with 45 overs to score them. The pitch remained flat. The result, in most interpretations, was a formality. The journey to it was not entirely without drama.
Gill came out to open on Day 3 alongside Jaiswal — his return confirming his fitness and the relief of the touring party. The captain made 44, batting with apparent comfort despite the finger injury, and his presence gave the innings exactly the assurance the management needed. Jaiswal made 61 before retiring hurt, atoning for his Day 2 cheaply-taken wicket with a more measured effort that gave the chase its foundation.
When both departed, India needed 105 from the remaining overs with Padikkal, Pant and the lower order to come. Pant made a useful 28 before falling, Gurnoor Brar went for 2, and with 16 needed from the final over and Mohammed Siraj in the middle, the denouement arrived.
Siraj — widely known for his affectionate nickname “Sir Vivian Siraj” among Indian fans — settled the question with three consecutive sixes in the final over. India reached 214 for 4 from 45 overs, winning by six wickets. Saransh Jain — the debutant off-spinner from Madhya Pradesh in the squad for the first time — finished unbeaten on 2, his first-class appearance giving him valuable exposure to conditions ahead of a possible Test debut at Galle.
The win sends India into the first Test on August 15 with a positive result, a century from Padikkal, a captain fit enough to bat, and the knowledge that their spinners — Jadeja, Kuldeep and Suthar — were the most penetrative bowlers across three days.
Scorecard:
Sri Lanka XI 1st innings: 363/8 declared (90 overs) — Ravindu Rasantha 71, Nishan Madushka 66, Sonal Dinusha 52; Ravindra Jadeja 2 wkts, Kuldeep Yadav 2 wkts, Manav Suthar 2 wkts
India 1st innings: 357/6 declared (90 overs) — Devdutt Padikkal 142*, Ravindra Jadeja 63* (retired hurt), Manav Suthar 41, KL Rahul 40, Gurnoor Brar 36*; Ramesh Mendis 2 wkts, Asanka Manoj 2 wkts
Sri Lanka XI 2nd innings: 200/6 declared (45 overs) — Nishan Madushka 63 (retired hurt), Nipun Dhananjaya 46, Anjala Bandara 35; Gurnoor Brar 2-37, Ravindra Jadeja 2-33
India 2nd innings: 214/4 (45 overs) — Yashasvi Jaiswal 61 (retired hurt), Shubman Gill 44, Mohammed Siraj 32* (15); Keshara Nuwantha 2-57
Result: India won by 6 wickets
Note: Shubman Gill missed Day 2 batting due to finger injury sustained in training; returned to bat on Day 3. Ravindra Jadeja retired hurt in the first innings on 63.
