# Devdutt Padikkal century gives India A control on day one 2026-08-24T10:49:57+00:00 | Sports | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 1 independent outlet Devdutt Padikkal struck a fluent century to steer India A to a strong position on the opening day of their tour match against a local side. The left-handed batsman remained unbeaten on 118 off 198 balls, anchoring the innings after early wickets. His knock included 15 fours and a six, as India A reached 276 for 4 at stumps. The day was hard-fought, with the opposition bowlers striking early to reduce India A to 32 for 2. However, Padikkal rebuilt the innings in a decisive partnership with Sai Sudharsan, who made 67. The pair added 137 runs for the third wicket to wrest control. India A will look to consolidate and build a big first-innings lead on day two. ## Indian Opinion Analysis India A’s domestic first-class schedule is designed to prepare reserves for the senior Test squad. A strong hundred from a fringe batsman like Devdutt Padikkal puts him in the conversation for a call-up if a middle-order slot opens in the senior team. The Board of Control for Cricket in India has traditionally relied on performances in the Duleep Trophy and India A tours for selection. With the Test season ahead, selectors will watch the remaining tour matches closely. Padikkal’s consistency on this tour could be the deciding factor for a spot in the next Test squad. ## Coverage - cricinfo.com Leads with Padikkal's performance, frames the day as hard-fought but positive for India A. This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above. Tags: Devdutt Padikkal, India A, Tour match Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/devdutt-padikkal-century-gives-india-a-control-on-day-one/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/devdutt-padikkal-century-gives-india-a-control-on-day-one/#story-in-brief Review state: restored archive article, accurate at time of publication, not offered to search indexes. How this brief was made: an AI model read the report linked above and wrote this summary and analysis, which were published automatically. Published briefs are sampled every hour by an automated quality check; the editor verifies its findings and approves corrections, and corrected briefs carry a dated correction line. We do no original reporting. Methodology: https://indianopinion.org/ai-use-policy/