# Devdutt Padikkal named Player of the Match after Galle Test win 2026-08-19T12:37:53+00:00 | Sports | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 1 independent outlet Devdutt Padikkal was named Player of the Match after scoring 167 in the first innings of the Galle Test, helping India beat Sri Lanka by 165 runs. The 167 was his maiden Test century and formed the bedrock of India's first-innings total of 462. In the second innings, Padikkal added 44, and Manav Suthar took a ten-wicket match haul, including a second consecutive five-wicket haul. Padikkal said the pitch started turning from day three but the difference was which team used its skills better. Asked about left-handed batsmen getting an advantage against left-arm spinners on a slow pitch, Padikkal agreed that was a factor. He said his career had been challenging, starting in Dharamsala, then Perth, and now Galle, but he could not have asked for anything better. ## Indian Opinion Analysis Padikkal's century in Galle is his first in Tests after a debut in Dharamsala and a difficult tour of Australia. The left-hander's ability to counter left-arm spin on a slow pitch will be noted by selectors as India builds a pool of batsmen for subcontinental conditions. Suthar's ten-wicket haul in only his second Test gives India a second frontline spinner option beyond Jadeja and Ashwin. The next Test in the series will test whether Padikkal and Suthar can replicate this form on a different surface. ## Coverage - aajtak.in Straight match report with player quotes, no editorial slant. This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above. Tags: Devdutt Padikkal, Galle Test, India cricket team, Manav Suthar, Sri Lanka Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/devdutt-padikkal-named-player-of-the-match-after-galle-test-win/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/devdutt-padikkal-named-player-of-the-match-after-galle-test-win/#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/