**Devdutt Padikkal Completes 3,000 First-Class Runs with 7th Century**
*Karnataka’s Devdutt Padikkal made a stunning return to the India A circuit with an impressive century against Australia A in Lucknow. The left-handed batsman resumed his innings at an overnight score of 86 and quickly reached his hundred on the fourth morning, scoring his seventh First-Class (FC) century and surpassing the 3,000-run milestone in FC cricket.*
### Solid Team Effort and Partnership with Dhruv Jurel
Batting at number four, Padikkal formed a crucial partnership with India A wicketkeeper Dhruv Jurel. When Jurel joined Padikkal, India A’s score was 222/4. The duo then added a valuable 228-run stand for the fifth wicket, helping India A respond strongly after Australia A declared at 532/6 in their first innings.
Despite the pressure, Dhruv Jurel played aggressively, scoring a century off just 114 balls. He finished with a commanding 140 runs from 197 deliveries, showcasing excellent counter-attacking cricket.
### Padikkal’s Dominant Knock of 150 Runs
Padikkal made his innings count with a commanding 150 runs off 281 balls, including 14 fours and a six. After the departure of Jurel, he added 41 runs with Tanush Kotian and another 29 with Harsh Dubey before being dismissed by Corey Rocchiccioli. At the time of his dismissal, India A’s score was 520/7. Rain subsequently halted play with the team at 532/7.
### Milestone: 3,000 First-Class Runs
This innings marked Padikkal’s 45th FC match, in which he surpassed 3,000 runs, now totaling 3,038 runs at an impressive average above 42. His FC record boasts seven centuries and eighteen fifties. Of these, 90 runs have come in international Test matches, where he has appeared twice for India.
### Career Highlights and Return to Competitive Cricket
At just 25 years old, Devdutt Padikkal has already established himself as a promising talent in Indian cricket. This innings was only his second competitive match following the Indian Premier League 2025 season, during which he played for Royal Challengers Bengaluru.
Earlier this month, Padikkal marked his comeback in First-Class cricket with a half-century and an unbeaten 16 runs in the Duleep Trophy semi-final held in Bengaluru.
### International Career: Test Debut and Challenges
Padikkal made his Test debut against England in Dharamsala last year, scoring a half-century. However, his international career faced challenges as he played only one more match during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25 opener against Australia in Perth. After scoring a duck in his first innings and 25 runs in the second, he was dropped from the playing XI for the remainder of the tour and missed India’s subsequent England tour in June.
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Devdutt Padikkal’s return to form and milestone century signal an encouraging phase in his career as he aims to cement his place in higher levels of competitive cricket. Fans and selectors alike will be watching eagerly as he continues to perform at the domestic and international stages.
https://www.newsbytesapp.com/news/sports/padikkal-gets-to-this-massive-fc-milestone-with-defiant-150/story
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