India, put into bat by Sri Lanka skipper Sanath Jayasuriya in the morning, rattled up an imposing 292 for six after contributions from Tendulkar (97), Virender Sehwag (66) and skipper Sourav Ganguly (48).

Tendulkar added 153 in 26.2 overs with Sehwag, the highest opening stand in the 2003 tournament, and then 61 with his captain before top edging an attempted paddle sweep within striking distance of his 35th one-day half-century.

Earlier, the 29-year-old had broken his own record for the most runs scored in a World Cup, the 523 runs he scored during the 1996 tournament. After his 97 from 120 balls today, the batting superstar has scored 567 runs.

Whilst Tendulkar and Sehwag were together India looked on course for a 300 plus total. But superb bowling from star off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan and Chaminda Vaas ensured that Sri Lanka were not batted entirely out of the game.

Whilst his wayward colleagues were being flogged mercilessly, Muralitharan, used in short spells by Jayasuriya, took three for 46 in ten overs.

Vaas bowled an economical early spell with the new ball before returning at the death to dismiss Ganguly and the dangerous Yuvraj Singh.

The left-armer, now the leading wicket-taker in the tournament with 18 victims, conceded only 34 runs from his quota of overs.

Sehwag’s innings was ended soon after he had passed fifty for the first time in the tournament. The right-hander celebrated by crashing two sixes off Sanath Jayasuriya but then perished in the deep as he tried to loft Muralitharan straight down the ground for his fourth six.

Ganguly looked uncomfortable against the pace of Dilhara Fernando when he first started, edging through the slips, but was soon into his stride against the hapless Prabath Nissanka, whom he carved for six.

Tendulkar was the next go as a floating off-break from Aravinda de Silva rolled up his bat, glove and arm before being caught by Kumar Sangakkara behind the stumps.

Vaas returned to pin back the stumps of both Ganguly and Yuvraj before Muralitharan bowled a sweeping Mohammad Kaif via his thigh pad and then snared Dinesh Mongia in the deep.

Although conditions are ideal for batting, with clear blue skies and a true pitch, Sri Lanka will have to break a venue record to win as the highest target overhauled is the 280 scored by South Africa against India in 2001.

Sri Lanka’s pace bowlers failed to exploit favourable bowling conditions as India’s rampant openers raced to a century stand. Midway through the innings, India looked set for a massive score on 136 without loss.

Tendulkar set a new record for the most runs in a World Cup, surpassing the 523 runs he compiled during the 1996 tournament, as he plundered an unbeaten 68 from 81 balls, his 61st one-day fifty.

His hard-hitting clone, Virender Sehwag, provided good support, kick-starting the innings with 11 runs off the second over of the innings but thereafter playing second fiddle to India’s master batsman.

Sehwag, under pressure to perform after a lean tournament to date, reached his maiden World Cup fifty shortly before the mid-point of the innings and has so far scored 52 from 71 balls with six fours and one carved six over point.

Jayasuriya, who must already be ruing his strange decision to bowl first, had begun the morning with high hopes of making early inroads but Tendulkar and Sehwag launched an early assault and never let the new ball bowlers settle.

Prabath Nissanka, who had earlier been preferred to Pulasthi Gunaratne, looked nervy from the time his first delivery was pummeled through the covers for four and went on to concede 33 runs from a wayward four over burst.

Chaminda Vaas, the tournament’s equal highest wicket-taker, proved more economical, conceding 24 runs from an extended eight over burst, but rarely threatening as the Indian openers forced him to bowl wide of off-stump.

The pair raced to 70 runs off the first ten overs before, almost as if they needed to take a breather, a period of consolidation as 40 runs were accumulated in the next overs.

Jayasuriya turned to his match-winning off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan in the 17th over of the innings but, with a healthy run rate and a full hand of wickets in the bank, Tendulkar and Sehwag were under no pressure to take undue risks.

Indeed, apart from a couple of balls that passed the bat early on and a square drive from Tendulkar that fell just short of point, Sri Lanka’s best chance of a wicket was a possible run out opportunity when Tendulkar misjudged a quick single off the first ball of the game.

The decision was motivated by the expectation of early moisture in the pitch after heavy rain in Johannesburg over the weekend but represents a gamble with the sun baking down on the brown, flat-looking pitch.

Sri Lanka made two changes to the side that lost to Australia on Friday, preferring the pacy Prabath Nissanka to Pulasthi Gunaratne and including left-hander Jehan Mubarak in place of the injured Hashan Tillakaratne (hamstring).

India named the same side that completed a nervy six-wicket win against the Kenyans under lights at Cape Town on Friday, leaving out leg-spinner Anil Kumble.

India, currently on 12 points, will confirm their presence in the semi-finals should they win, whilst Sri Lanka, in fifth position with 7.5 points, will lose control over their own destiny should they be defeated.

Should Sri Lanka lose they must, then, win against Zimbabwe and hope that the results of the other Super Six games fall in their favour, with New Zealand losing to India and Australia or Kenya being defeated by both Zimbabwe and Australia.

The last time the two sides met was when they shared the ICC Champions Trophy at Colombo after consecutive evening thunderstorms.

India:

V Sehwag, SR Tendulkar, *SC Ganguly, M Kaif, +R Dravid, Yuvraj Singh, D Mongia, Harbhajan Singh, Z Khan, A Nehra, J Srinath.

Sri Lanka:

MS Atapattu, *ST Jayasuriya, J Mubarak, DPMD Jayawardene, PA de Silva, RP Arnold, +KC Sangakkara, WPUJC Vaas, M Muralitharan, CRD Fernando, RAP Nissanka.