At Sharjah, October 27 (day/night). Sri Lanka won by 68 runs.
Toss: India.
Muralitharan returned the best analysis in the history of one-day internationals, seven for 30, in this dress-rehearsal for the final. The previous record was seven for 37 by Aqib Javed of Pakistan, also against India at Sharjah, nine years and two days earlier. Murali's first victim, Robin Singh, was his 200th in limited-overs games for Sri Lanka. When Sri Lanka were put in to bat, Jayasuriya's first failure of the week hardly mattered as Atapattu and Jayawardene ran up 226 in 36 overs, a Sri Lankan third-wicket record, on what seemed a batsman's pitch. Jayawardene scored 128 in 123 balls, with 15 fours, while Atapattu was comparatively staid, hitting just five fours in 111 balls. Vaas then made two early breakthroughs before Muralitharan began his opening spell of four for 21 in seven overs, including Tendulkar for a 54-ball 61. While he rested, Badani and Dahiya rallied India's reply, but his second spell, culminating in a double-wicket maiden, reduced them to 211 for nine, leaving Jayasuriya to complete the victory. Man of the Match: M. Muralitharan.

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