Throwback to the time when Sri Lanka created history by scoring highest ever team total in Test Cricket

6th August 1997 will be a special day for Sri Lankan cricket fans and a day to forget for the Indian Cricket fans. The then-defending ODI World Cup winners, Sri Lanka, were creating a storm in the cricket world. During the first Test Match against India at the R. Premadasa stadium, Sri Lanka scored 952/6 on the board. 

This is the highest-ever team total in the history of Test cricket breaking the previous score of 903/7 scored by England against Australia in 1938. The record that stood for 58 years and 351 days was broken thanks to the brilliance of one man who went by the name of Sanath Jayasuriya. 

The current Sri Lankan coach found an able ally in Roshan Mahanama who frustrated the Indian bowlers for three successive days. By the end of the test, Indian spin trio Rajesh Chauhan, Anil Kumble, and Nilesh Kulkarni had bowled 220 of the 271 overs bowled during the Sri Lankan innings. 

Sri Lanka scripts history with the bat 

World champions Sri Lanka took on India in the first of Two Tests at home in 1997. India had batted first and posted a huge score of 537/8, declared after having batted for 167.3 overs. Navjot Singh Sidhu scored a brilliant 111, while Sachin Tendulkar (143) and Mohammad Azharuddin (126) had posted centuries as well. 

By the end of the second day’s play Sri Lanka were 39/1, having lost Marvan Atapattu for 26. Nilesh Kulkarni, playing his debut game, accounted for the Sri Lankan opener in his very first over. 

From there the India side had to wait two more days for their next wicket as Roshan Mahanama joined Sanath Jayasuriya. The two batters added 576 runs for the second wicket to destroy the Indian bowlers physically and mentally. 

The fifth and final day started with the hope that Sanath Jayasuriya could break the record for the highest test score for a batter. Brian Lara’s 375 was the best score back in the day and Sanath Jayasuriya had started the day batting on 326.

The left-handed batter could only add 14 runs to his total before getting out for 340. His knock came off 578 balls as he gallantly batted for 799 minutes with 36 fours and 2 sixes. Roshan Mahanama dour in his defence batted for 561 balls for 753 minutes to score his 225 runs.

To add more misery to the Indian bowlers, Aravinda De Silva scored 126 runs off 211 balls. Skipper Arjuna Ranatunga had helped himself to a brilliant 86 while debutant Mahela Jayawardene batting at number 7 had scored 66 runs. 

By the time the innings was declared the match was already over there was no chance for a second innings to take place. Barring Nayan Mongia, Sidhu, and Azharuddin every player had bowled. Sourav Ganguly was the best bowler for India with his 2/53 from 9 overs as the match ended in a tame draw with over with 1489 runs being scored for the loss of 13 wickets. India though went back wounded ahead of the second Test and became part of cricketing history for all the wrong reasons.