India may have started their Sri Lanka tour with a convincing 165-run victory in the first Test at the Galle International Stadium, but former Sri Lankan all-rounder Russel Arnold believes the result does not completely reflect the performance of India’s batting unit. According to Russel Arnold , Devdutt Padikkal and KL Rahul were largely responsible for India’s strong first-innings position, while several established batters failed to make a significant impact.
Russel Arnold unleashes attack on India’s batters
After choosing to bat first, India posted an imposing 462 in their opening innings. However, the total was heavily influenced by a remarkable second-wicket partnership between Devdutt Padikkal and KL Rahul.
Devdutt Padikkal produced the standout batting performance by registering his maiden Test century and finishing with 167 runs. Rahul, meanwhile, played a patient and determined innings of 82 despite battling cramps in the heat and humidity of Galle. The duo added 162 runs for the second wicket, giving India control of the contest and helping them reach 288-2 at stumps on the opening day.
The partnership became even more important because Rahul was forced to retire hurt at the beginning of the third session. Despite losing one of their key batters temporarily, India continued to build a sizeable first-innings total and eventually reached 462.
Russel Arnold felt that contribution of the partnership was crucial when assessing India’s batting performance. He pointed out that the team’s other major batters did not contribute enough runs to make the overall display look completely convincing.
” When you look at the batting, other than Padikkal and Rahul, if you took that partnership out, they have not scored a lot,” Russell Arnold said during a chat organised by Sony Sports Network.
Russell Arnold acknowledged that India still possessed plenty of quality in their batting order, naming players such as Shubman Gill (16 & 8), Ravindra Jadeja (13 & 9)Â and Yashasvi Jaiswal (32 & 0) . However, Russel Arnold stressed that the presence of high-quality players does not automatically mean the batting unit has delivered its best performance.
” India got to a good score, and that is a sign of a strong team. But it wouldn’t be the best performance, because these players did not perform, did they?” he added.
India’s Second-Innings Collapse Raises Questions
India’s batting concerns became more visible in the second innings. Having built a huge advantage in the match, the visitors were reduced to 111-3 before eventually being bowled out for 193. Only three Indian batters managed to cross the 50-run mark in the second innings, while the final wickets fell for just 19 runs.
Sri Lanka were therefore set a target of 372 runs, but India’s bowlers ensured that the batting collapse did not affect the final result.
Arnold was particularly impressed with India’s bowling effort. Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishna combined to take five wickets across the two innings, producing an important impact even though the conditions largely appeared more suitable for spin bowling. Siraj made good use of the new ball, while Krishna troubled the batters with short deliveries and also played a role in breaking Sri Lanka’s biggest partnership of the match.
” You come to the bowling, they did well, they did well as a unit,” Russel Arnold said, praising the Indian pace attack. He also highlighted the way the fast bowlers created breakthroughs despite having relatively little.
Also Read:Â SL vs IND: Gary Kirsten Reveals Sri Lanka’s Test Team Plan