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The India National Cricket Team is featuring in the two-match test series against the Sri Lanka National Cricket Team. Shubman Gill’s side made just one change in the game from their 165-run win over the home side, with Kuldeep Yadav being out of the squad and Saransh Jain making his debut for the Men in Blue.
The Men in Blue have scored 300/5 after the end of Day 1, as Devdutt Padikkal scored 117 runs; this was the second instance that any No.3 batter scored a century in the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) history. India will look to post another high score on Day 2 and try to bat as much as possible.
"I don’t think": Sitanshu Kotak on Kuldeep Yadav missing out
The change of Kuldeep Yadav raised many questions as the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) before the match stated that the left-arm wrist spinner has been ruled out of the match and the series due to a viral illness. However, as per the reports, it is believed that he was dropped due to his poor performance.
While speaking to the media in the post-match press conference, India’s batting coach Sintanshu Kotak was asked if the spinner was fit, would he have played this match?
Question: If Kuldeep Yadav was fit, he would have played this match?
— Sahil Malhotra (@Sahil_Malhotra1) August 23, 2026
India batting coach Kotak: (long pause) I don’t think this is a relevant question.
When he wasn’t well, there is no point thinking and talking about this. pic.twitter.com/TGQenUVJEv
Sitanshu Kotak, after a long pause, said, "I don’t think this is a relevant question. When he wasn’t well, there is no point thinking and talking about this. When he wasn’t well, there is no point thinking and talking about this."
Why was Kuldeep Yadav dropped?
Ahead of the match, there were reports that Kuldeep Yadav was to be dropped, citing his poor performance in the first Test match. He picked just one wicket and was the weak link in India’s bowling attack as he was attacked by the Sri Lanka batters in the first game.
He has been going through a rough phase during the first Test against Sri Lanka. Kuldeep found it hard to break through on a slow pitch as the ball softened, yielding 65 runs for 1 wicket in 14 overs in the first innings, and in the second innings he failed to pick up any wickets in 11 overs, going for 0/38.
Devdutt Padikkal's stunning century helped India dominate Day 1
India won the toss and decided to bat first. They got off to a good start, with Yashasvi Jaiswal falling for 45 runs short of his half-century. KL Rahul was good; however, he could not convert his start and was back for 18 runs.
Devdutt Padikkal once again excelled, scoring a magnificent hundred. He once again showed his calm and cool attitude by anchoring the innings with a knock of 117 runs off 193 balls, including 12 fours. Gill also scored a half-century and was dismissed, and Ravindra Jadeja was dismissed with a score of 43 runs.
