Galle, August 19: India's 600th Test turned into a landmark occasion for several reasons as the visitors defeated Sri Lanka by 165 runs at the Galle International
Cricket Stadium. While the result gave India a 1-0 lead in the two-Test series, the match also produced a collection of individual milestones, with Devdutt Padikkal, Rishabh Pant, Ravindra Jadeja and Manav Suthar all entering record books.
India became only the third team after England and Australia to play 600 Tests, and the first Asian side to reach the landmark. The match also began on August 15, India's Independence Day, adding another layer to an already historic occasion.
Devdutt Padikkal's memorable Test
The biggest batting story belonged to Devdutt Padikkal. Playing his third Test and batting at No. 3, the left-hander scored a magnificent 167 off 230 balls, his maiden Test century. He followed it with 44 in the second innings to finish with 211 runs in the match.
Padikkal's century also carried historical significance as it came on Independence Day. He became only the second Indian to score an international century on August 15, after Virat Kohli, although Padikkal is the first Indian to achieve the feat in Test cricket.
His 211-run match aggregate also placed him among India's biggest match aggregates in a Test in Sri Lanka. His innings was the foundation for India's 462 in the first innings and the eventual 178-run lead.
Padikkal also became only the second Indian left-hander in the 21st century to score a Test century at No. 3, after Sourav Ganguly.
Pant reaches 100 Test sixes
Rishabh Pant - who was criticised for his reckless shot selection in the first innings - produced another major milestone in the second essay of this Test. The left-handed batter from Delhi smashed a couple of sixes in his 66-run knock and took his tally to 100 sixes in Test cricket, making him the first Indian to reach the landmark and only the fourth batter overall.
More significantly, Pant reached the mark in his 51st Test, making him the fastest player in Test history to 100 sixes. He surpassed Adam Gilchrist, who had needed 130 innings to reach the mark.
Pant helped the visitors push their lead to a match-winning 371 before being bowled out for 193.
Jadeja joins 350-wicket club
There's hardly a game when Ravindra Jadeja isn't achieving a milestone when he walks out in Test whites. The all-rounder from Saurashtra added another milestone to India's record book in Galle Test.
Jadeja completed 350 Test wickets, becoming only the fifth Indian to achieve the feat after Anil Kumble, Ravichandran Ashwin, Kapil Dev and Harbhajan Singh. He is also the first Indian left-arm bowler to reach the landmark.
Jadeja's achievement became even more significant because he had already crossed 4,000 Test runs. He therefore became only the fourth player in Test history to combine 4,000 runs with 350 wickets, joining Kapil Dev, Ian Botham and Daniel Vettori.
Jadeja reached the milestone in his 90th Test, adding another significant chapter to his all-round career.
Suthar's 10-wicket breakthrough
The most unexpected record of the match belonged to Manav Suthar. Playing only his second Test, the left-arm spinner from Rajasthan claimed 4/76 in the first innings and 6/55 in the second, finishing with match figures of 10/131.
It was Suthar's maiden 10-wicket haul in Test cricket and his first match with 10 wickets at the international level.
His performance also made him only the third Indian to claim a 10-wicket match haul in Sri Lanka, after Harbhajan Singh and Ravichandran Ashwin. More significantly, his 10/131 became the best match figures by an Indian bowler in Sri Lanka, surpassing Harbhajan's 10/153 and Ashwin's 10/160, both also achieved at Galle.
Suthar's performance was particularly impressive because he was not merely relying on extravagant turn. He repeatedly demonstrated the ability to push the ball through, attack the stumps and extract enough turn to keep Sri Lankan batters uncertain.
India's 600th Test becomes a new-generation statement
The numbers tell the story of a milestone Test, but the identities behind those numbers make it more significant for India.
Padikkal, in his third Test, made 167. Suthar, in his second, took 10 wickets.
| Player/Team | Milestone |
|---|---|
| India | Became the third team after England and Australia to play 600 Tests |
| Devdutt Padikkal | Scored his maiden Test century, making 167 off 230 balls |
| Devdutt Padikkal | Scored 211 runs in the match |
| Devdutt Padikkal | Became the second Indian left-hander in the 21st century to score a Test century at No. 3 |
| Rishabh Pant | Became the first Indian and fastest player to reach 100 Test sixes |
| Ravindra Jadeja | Reached 350 Test wickets, becoming the fifth Indian to achieve the milestone |
| Ravindra Jadeja | Became only the fourth player to complete the 4,000 Test runs and 350 wickets double |
| Manav Suthar | Claimed his maiden 10-wicket haul in Tests, finishing with 10/131 |
| Manav Suthar | Became the third Indian to take a 10-wicket haul in a Test in Sri Lanka |
| India | Won the 1st Test by 165 runs and took a 1-0 lead in the series |
