On August 6,1997, Sri Lanka registered their highest Test team score against Team India in Colombo. At the toss, India captain Sachin Tendulkar emerged victorious and elected to bat first. Three batters
from the visitors shone and notched up hundreds. Navjot Sidhu played a 111-run knock while Tendulkar and Mohammad Azharuddin racked up 143 and 126 runs respectively. Rahul Dravid also played a 69-run innings. Riding on some sensational batting efforts, India declared their innings after putting up 537/8 on the board. For the hosts, Sanath Jayasuriya shone with the ball as he picked up 3/45 figures in his 18 overs and emerged as the highest wicket-taker in the innings.
Following the massive score, Sri Lanka lost Marvan Atapattu early but Jayasuriya and Roshan Mahanama refused to surrender and showed their courageous side. Both stitched a 576-run stand for the second wicket. Anil Kumble got rid of Mahanama and broke the partnership. Mahanama departed after hammering 225 runs off 561 balls. Jayasuriya also fell against Rajesh Chauhan after producing a 340-run knock from his bat. His innings included 36 fours and two maximums. This knock turned out to be Jayasuriya’s best in red-ball cricket. Jayasuriya became the first Sri Lanka batter to score 300 runs in Tests and his knock is also the second-best for his national side in cricket's longest format.
Middle-order batters also helped Sri Lanka post a colossal total
After the dismissal of Roshan Mahanama and Sanath Jayasuriya, Sri Lanka middle-order batters Aravinda de Silva, captain Arjuna Ranatunga, and Mahela Jayawardene showcased their mettle and played solid knocks. De Silva scored 126 off 211 while Ranatunga also smashed 86 off 110.
Jayawardene, who was playing his debut game, scored an impressive 66 off 105. Eventually, the match ended in a stalemate and Sri Lanka succeeded in becoming the team with the highest Test total with their score of 952/6 after playing 271 overs. Jayasuriya became the Player of the Match (POTM) for his superb all-round display (3/45 and 340).
