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.