While SL elected to field, India declared on 537/8 after batting for 167.3 overs. Navjot Singh Sidhu (111), Sachin Tendulkar (143), and Mohammad Azharuddin (126) gave India a huge first-innings total. Sri Lanka, however, responded with an innings that would go into the record books. Marvan Atapattu fell early for 26, but Sanath Jayasuriya and Roshan Mahanama then took complete control of the game.