Challenging new role for Mendis | Sri Lanka vs Pak 1st Test 2009

Two teams best suited to make a mockery out of structures and 'processes' promise an unpredictable Test, which no longer favours Sri Lanka because of Muttiah Muralitharan's absence. Anyone out of a 17-year-old prodigy, a former pariah refusing to fade away, a 31-year-old left-arm spinner, a six-Test old mystery spinner, a 30-year-old fast bowler waiting for his Test debut, an uncapped 22-year-old who took three wickets in the first over of the World Twenty20 semi-final but is known for his prolific run-scoring in domestic cricket, and an offspinner who has bowled big legbreaks only in limited-overs internationals could decide this match.

The most important strand of this story, though, is Ajantha Mendis. Like it should be with any self-respecting mystery spinner, Mendis' last year was eventful. This time last year, he was embarrassing the Indian Fab Four in Tests, only to suggest his mystery was wearing off in the subsequent ODIs against India and Pakistan and the IPL, before coming back to mesmerise the world again in the World Twenty20.

Now there is no Murali, at least for the next five days, to build pressure from the other end, or to do the damage when Mendis is struggling. How will he react to having to lead Sri Lanka's most inexperienced Test attack in a long time? If his captain is to be believed, expect a new facet of Mendis to surface. "He is going to enjoy it," said Kumar Sangakkara. "He is a very, very tough character, he has got a good head on his shoulders, he is going to enjoy going out there, being the No. 1 bowler, and taking the pressure on."

What about Pakistan being reputed to playing him well? Like Younis Khan said it is not about doing anything differently, but just being able to read him well. "Mendis has changed from his last Pakistan tour," said Sangakkara. "Sides will have different ways of playing him, some will be more successful than others. Pakistan of course have been playing him quite well, but that doesn't mean Mendis is not going to be effective against them. We just need to fine-tune our thinking and field settings, and let him be as creative as he wants to be."

Not all of the other characters might get to play but have a look at the number of debutants regardless. For Sri Lanka, one out of Angelo Mathews and Kaushal Silva will surely debut. Suraj Kaluhalamulla, who announced today that he had changed his name from Suraj Mohamed, is more likely to replace Murali because Rangana Herath, the other candidate, was flown in today from England, where he was playing minor counties.

Pakistan's Mohammad Aamer and Abdur Rauf are almost certainties unless Younis changes his mind and doesn't play three fast bowlers, which he said was an aggressive move. If Saeed Ajmal is preferred to Danish Kaneria, even he will be getting his first cap. It will be a debut of sorts for Mohammad Yousuf as well with international cricket having changed drastically since he last played.

The pitch and conditions only add to the unknown. The rains made sure the whole ground had to be covered for two days before it could be unveiled it today. Then the grass was cut to make it look like a cricket field. At 10am today, after the Sri Lankan team had arrived for practice, a sea of humanity got to work to get the ground ready. It's a minor miracle in the Land of Small Miracles that the Galle International Stadium is ready to host a Test despite the rains.

While the captains sounded not dissatisfied with the outfield, the pitch remains a big unknown. It has rough patches already, and no live grass. While it all points to a big turner, there is a possibility that too much moisture might have seeped underneath, which could result in a slow turner. Both the captains refused to predict how the surface would behave. Any result from a three-day finish to a high-scoring draw is possible.

Then again this could turn out to be a regular Galle pitch, on which the old hands like Mahela Jayawardene, Younis, Umar Gul, Sangakkara could prove to be the most crucial players. And wouldn't it be fulfilling to watch some old-world cricketers outshine such exciting new talent?

My carrom ball is productive - Ajantha Mendis | interview

Sri Lankan mystery spinner Ajantha Mendis in an exclusive interview , reveals his secret weapons.

Q: How do you enjoy the tag of a mystery bowler?

AM: Let it remain like that. I really do enjoy that.

Q: What is your experience bowling in English conditions?

AM: So far so good. I am happy that the team is doing well and I have a small role behind the team's success in this tournament.

Q: How is your carrom ball?

AM: It's productive and this kind of delivery has won many a wicket even in this tournament.

Q: Would you accept that the Nottingham wicket has helped you to become a successful bowler?

AM: I cannot deny that the wicket in Trent Bridge has really helped me. But one has to bowl in the right area to purchase wickets. In my book that is very, very essential.

Q: You have been brought on to bowl in this tournament during pressure situations. How did you manage that?

AM: The style of the T20 game is such that every cricketer will have to be ready to do anything so that I always back myself to accept the challenges. I always keep one thing in mind that if anyone can follow his basics, he will definitely reach somewhere. In order to bowl in the early part of the innings, I have practiced with the new ball that has really helped me.

Q: Which is your most memorable bowling spell in the international cricket?

AM: I got six wickets against India at Karachi in the STAR Cricket Asia Cup and that was really a very satisfying moment. People know that the Indians can play spin bowling the best. Even then I got six wickets against them and paved the way for my Sri Lankan team to win the trophy.

Q: Lot of people are of the opinion that batsmen all over the world will get accustomed with your bowling and you might not get the same amount of success.

AM: That is also a kind of a challenge. I am ready to face it. I have some more tricks under my sleeves. I will face the challenge when it comes in front of me.

Source : ESPNStar

Challenge to take on Murali, Mendis in Lanka: Yousuf

KARACHI: Former ICL player and senior Pakistan batsman Mohammad Yousuf on Friday said tackling the spin duo of Muttiah Muralitharan and Ajantha
Mendis during the tour of Sri Lanka would be the toughest challenge for him and his batting colleagues.

Yousuf, who returned to official fold after scrapping ties with the rebel Indian Cricket
League, is certain to be named in Pakistan squad for the Sri Lanka tour starting June 27.

The senior batsman, who has played 79 Tests and 269 ODIs, is relishing the prospect of facing mystery spinner Mendis, whom he had encountered once.

"I have played him (Mendis) just once but I have watched his videos as a preparation for the coming tour," Yousuf said.

"But it is the ideal series for me to make a comeback because I relish challenges. And I would love to do well against the duo (of Murali and Mendis), especially since I have not played much against Mendis," he said.

Mendis has been a big success for Sri Lanka in the ongoing Twenty20 World Cup in England with batsmen failing to read him properly.

Yousuf said although ICL was a good experience, he was eager to don the national colours yet again.

Source : TOI

Mendis mystery continues to haunt batsmen

It's been almost a year since the July 6, 2008 Asia Cup final between India and Sri Lanka in Karachi. A certain Ajantha Mendis spun
his way 'mysteriously' into our collective consciousness with a spell of 6 for 13 in 8 overs to bowl Sri Lanka to a 100-run victory. He also had 17 wickets in the tournament from five games, winning him the Man of the Series award.

A couple of weeks later, he terrorised India's batsmen, including the fabled 'Fab Four', to grab 26 wickets in a three-match Test series in Lanka. He won the Man of the Series award again. The word 'mystery spinner' and 'carrom ball' became as much a part of cricket vocabulary as 'mid-on' and 'mid-off'. Batsmen were wary of facing him, at least in Sri Lanka or the subcontinent.

While conditions in England have been different from Sri Lanka, Mendis, a gunman in the Sri Lankan army, has managed to have the same effect on rival teams, shooting down batsmen in the World T20. His Man-of-the-Match winning effort of 3/9 in three overs against New Zealand at Trent Bridge enabled Sri Lanka to enter the semifinals as Group F toppers.

Mendis now has 10 wickets from five games and is fourth on the wicket-takers' list behind Umar Gul (12 wkts), Saeed Ajmal (11 wkts) and teammate Lasith Malinga (11). And he has done it by bowling straight and getting his victims either bowled or leg-before.

New Zealand captain Daniel Vettori conceded after the game that getting after him was difficult. "Ross Taylor tried to get after him and target the short boundaries, but couldn't. You just have to admire the quality of bowling that was on view. Mendis bowled exceptionally well today," he said.

Normally, rival spin bowlers find it hard to find praiseworthy words for other spinners. Not Vettori, though. "It's no use blaming the batsmen for not doing the job. A lot of our batsmen picked Mendis today, but we found it very difficult to score off him. We all saw the turn that he got and that made it even harder for us to score off him."

The left-arm-spinner also refused to tag him as a mystery spinner. "He is not a mystery bowler. He is just a very good bowler with exceptional skill."

Before the start of the tournament, Sri Lanka captain Kumar Sangakkara had mentioned how it was important for Mendis to keep evolving and increasing his variations, as batsmen would soon figure him out. One year into the job as a mystery bowler, does Mendis feel that batsmen are figuring him out?

Mahela Jayawardene, who acted as interpreter for Mendis, said, "Even if the batsmen pick him, they find it difficult to score off him as he bowls very straight. (That's partly why he gets so many leg-before and bowled dismissals)."

What about the rest of the batsmen in the Sri Lankan batting line-up? "We do pick up, but he has got a lot of tricks in his trade. He does so many things with his fingers that it's difficult to keep track of things," Mahela, an expert in playing spin bowling, admitted. He also praised the role of Muralitharan in Mendis' rise.

Mendis is one of the many freakish talents that Sri Lankan cricket has produced. Be it Muttiah Muralitharan, Lasith Malinga, Sanath Jayasuriya and Ajantha Mendis, all of them are exceptionally successful playing cricket in an unorthodox manner. Mahela credits that to the amount of craze there is for cricket in Sri Lanka.

"Everyone wants to pick up a bat or a ball and imitate a Jayasuriya or a Murali. They are such good role models," Jayawardene said. With so much video analysis and team meetings, one is amazed that Mendis' enigma has still not been unravelled. Surely, the man himself enjoys the tag of being a 'mystery' bowler.

Source : TOI

Sangakkara hails Mendis after victory against New Zealand

Sri Lanka captain Kumar Sangakkara saluted beguiling spinner Ajantha Mendis on Tuesday after his side reached the World Twenty20 semi-finals with a 48-run win over New Zealand.

Sri Lanka join fellow unbeaten side South Africa as well as Pakistan and West Indies in the last four.

Mendis took 3-9 at a crucial time when the Kiwis were well-placed at 64-2, chasing 159 to win.

"Ajantha was brilliant. He is very difficult to read and he has an attacking mindset. It's a great ability to have," said Sangakkara.

"He has a great leg break, but he varies his deliveries depending on whether or not he is bowling to a left- or right-hander."

Sri Lanka will play the second semi-final at the Oval on Friday against either South Africa or, more probably, the West Indies.

Despite their perfect record in the competition, Sangakkara believes there is still room for improvement.

"It was a great batting performance from Tillekaratne Dilshan (48). He was brilliant," added the skipper, who insisted he always believed his side could win despite the Black Caps' storming start to their reply.

"We knew that after the first six overs, and the fielding restrictions were lifted, we could pull them back. Now we can build on all of this and see where it takes us."

New Zealand captain Daniel Vettori, whose team would have made the semi-finals had they won as their run-rate was better then the Sri Lankans', admitted batting had let them down.

"It was a gettable total today but in three major matches our highest score was 120," he said.

"We got off to a decent start, then capitulated in the middle. But thay have a wonderful attack and deserved to win.

"We had a very comfortable draw. We played a couple of minnows and were then in a position to reach the semi-finals. But we didn't take our opportunities."

Source : AFP

The baffling, mesmerising spin of Mendis

The spin bowler of the tournament to date has been Sri Lanka's Ajantha Mendis, and especially so against Australia.

Against the West Indies, who were chasing 193 for victory and who were going great guns at 70 for one in the seventh over, Mendis changed the game when, after Muralitheran had removed Lendl Simmons, he left them tottering at 73 for four in the eighth over after taking care of Xavier Marshall and Shivnarine Chanderpaul - one looping a catch into the outfield, one beaten and bowled.

brilliant and deadly

Against Australia, however, Mendis, the mystery man, was brilliant and deadly.

The spin bowler - who spins the ball both ways and sometimes not at all, who disguises the direction of the spin and the amount of spin so well, and who varies his pace so skilfully - confused and bemused the batsmen so much that one could see the embarrassment on their faces, and none more so than on those of his victims - Ricky Ponting, Watson, and Mike Hussey.

Australia were hopping along at 48 for one off 5.5 overs when, in his first over, after beating the batsmen with a few deliveries, Mendis bowled Ponting, who, as he walked away, looked like a man who had just seen a ghost.

Next over, Watson was leg before wicket at 59 for three, and when Hussey also fell leg before wicket in the 13th over, Australia were 94 for six, and one of the pre-tournament favourites were on their way out of the tournament.

One reason for their exit was the power of the big left-hander, Chris Gayle; another was the magical spin of the wily Ajantha Mendis.

Source : The Gleaner

How do you explain the magic of Mendis?

- While teammate Muttiah Muralitharan is credited with developing the doosra — an offspinner’s delivery that goes ‘the wrong way’ — Ajantha Mendis has been the pioneer of what has become known as the ‘Carrom Ball’. The Australian spinner Jack Iverson is believed to have first tried this

- The ball is held between the thumb, forefinger and the middle finger. Instead of being released through movement of the wrist and hand in an orthodox manner, the ball is flicked out by the fingers, in a way resembling someone playing the popular Asian tabletop game Carrom

- The bowler can spin the ball either way with little discernible difference in his action to the batsman. If the centre finger is gripped towards the leg side, the ball spins from leg to offside and vice-versa

- Mendis has so far claimed 34 victims in just six Tests and has looked a threat in the World Twenty20, particularly against Australia, whose captain, Ricky Ponting, he dismissed.