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First things first. Devdutt Padikkal’s two hundreds in Sri Lanka may not seem monumental until you add context. Only four Indian No.3 batters have scored more centuries outside India, and each of them had at least 30 innings to do so. Padikkal did it in his first full series.

Yes, there was a genuine problem at No.3. Between January 2019 and the start of this Sri Lanka tour, only one Indian, Cheteshwar Pujara in Chattogram, December 2022, had managed a Test hundred while batting at one-drop overseas. In that same period, India’s No.3s averaged a dismal 20.10 away from home, the worst record for any Test-playing nation.

It wasn’t for lack of experimentation. As Pujara faded, India shuffled Shubman Gill down from the top. When Gill was unavailable, they tried Padikkal, then Virat Kohli, then KL Rahul. When Kohli vacated No.4 in 2025, Gill, now captain, dropped down and found runs himself. India tried Sai Sudharsan, Karun Nair, even Washington Sundar as a “false three,” but results stayed scarce. Despite a modest Test average of 32, Sudharsan seemed the preferred choice; head coach Gautam Gambhir even promised him a “long rope” this June. But an injury ruled him out of the Sri Lanka tour, opening the door for Padikkal.

Padikkal arrived ready. He had already scored runs for India A two fifties and smashed an unbeaten 142 in the tour game, all in Sri Lankan red-ball conditions since June 2026. Then came the two Test hundreds. In doing so, he has effectively batted Sudharsan out of the Test XI at least for now.

Beyond settling the No.3 debate, Padikkal also addressed another long-standing headache: India’s vulnerability to quality spin. Historically, Indian batters were expected to handle spin better than anyone; they grew up on turning tracks and rarely faced the world’s best spin attacks at home. During India’s record 18 consecutive home series wins, stars like Rohit, Kohli, Pant, Agarwal, and Jaiswal all averaged over 60 at home; Pujara and Vijay crossed 45.

That comfort shattered in 2024/25. New Zealand’s spinners took 37 wickets at 23.48 across three Tests, the best touring average in two decades. Then South Africa’s spinners went one better, claiming 25 wickets at 15.48 in two Tests, the best by a visiting side in India. India lost all five matches, collapsing repeatedly against spin with two entirely different batting line-ups: Rohit, Kohli, Gill, and Sarfaraz against New Zealand; a depleted squad missing all of them against South Africa.

Enter Padikkal. What stands out is his unconventional method. While most Indian batters Rahul (70% front-foot), Jaiswal (60%), Pant (59%) prefer to smother length balls on the front foot, Padikkal uses his 6’3” frame to go back deep in the crease. He forces spinners to toss the ball up, then uses his long reach to turn length deliveries into half-volleys. Across three series, no Indian has used the crease depth against spin as effectively as he has. He struck at 65 against spin, the fastest rate for an Indian No.3 with 300+ runs in a series since VVS Laxman in 2000/01.

Compare that to Sai Sudharsan, his predecessor: when facing similar length balls, Sudharsan played back-foot shots only 36.5% of the time, but his strike rate off those strokes was in single digits. Padikkal, by contrast, scores freely off the back foot. His footwork isn’t just survival; it’s weaponised.

In Sri Lanka, India may have won one fewer Test than they hoped, but they leave with a gaping hole filled. Nathan Lyon has surely already studied Padikkal’s footwork. How the young left-hander handles the Australian veteran in early 2027 could well define India’s next overseas campaign. For now, though, the No.3 debate is firmly on hold.