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.

Ajantha Mendis - more than a nice little turner

We admire players who do something different,” says Mahela Jayawardene, Sri Lanka’s former captain. You can say that again. Sri Lankan cricket seems to encourage invention and innovation to a point where it is almost unconventional to be conventional. Jayawardene is that unique character: a solid, orthodox batsman and, until recently, level-headed leader in a team of mavericks, a school of science and artistry that is taking the World Twenty20 tournament by storm in a way that their predecessors did so unexpectedly and joyously in the 50-over World Cup of 1996.

The spirit of that tub-thumping campaign is retained in the current squad with the ageless presence of Sanath Jayasuriya and Muttiah Muralitharan. Their longevity is remarkable but so is their Madonna-like capacity for reinvention. When Jayasuriya played a reverse sweep against West Indies last week, Ian Chappell, the former Australia captain turned TV commentator, claimed he had never seen Jayasuriya play such a shot, essentially because he had never needed to.

Jayasuriya, who turns 40 at the end of the month, has favoured the cut shot over the years, slicing and dicing bowling attacks who gave him the slightest width. It was he and Romesh Kaluwitharana who broke the mould back in 1996, “teeing off” in the early overs to take advantage of fielding restrictions. England were infamously demolished in the quarter-finals, Jayasuriya’s contribution was 82 off 44 balls.

Now his “junior” partner is the 32-year-old Tillakaratne Dilshan, who has patented a shot that involves shovelling or scooping a straight, good-length ball directly over the wicketkeeper’s head. Plenty of batsmen have developed the flick over the shoulder to take advantage of a short fine leg but none can match Dilshan’s perpendicular perfection. “I think I’ve only missed it once,” says Dilshan. “Playing the shot means the bowler has to think twice about where he is going to bowl the next ball.” Dilshan also credits his stint with the Delhi Daredevils in the Indian Premier League as vital to his cricketing education.

Muralitharan, the other survivor from 1996, is something of a liability in the field but his relentless accuracy and hint of mystery means he remains a vital cog in Sri Lanka’s inventive bowling line-up. While his apprentice Ajantha Mendis went for eight an over against Pakistan on Friday, Murali was as on the money just as Pakistan threatened to make a game of it.

When Twenty20 burst into the English cricketing consciousness in 2003, nobody anticipated the role of spin bowlers. Yet while quicker bowlers, such as Brett Lee, disappear to all parts, allowing the batsmen to feed off the pace of the ball, the slow men are hard to get away. And the clever slow men — like Mendis — can be impossible, as the Australians found to their bemused cost.

Mendis, 24, follows in the tradition of Australian spinners Jack Iverson, who took 21 wickets in the 1950-51 Ashes, and John Gleeson. These are the “flickers”, bowlers who deliver the ball not with wrist or finger spin but by finger-flicking propulsion. Mendis’s killer delivery, which he flicks with the middle finger, is know as the “carrom” ball, after a billiards-type game that involves flicking disks into pockets.

Jayawardene first saw Mendis while he was playing for the Army and appeared at a Sri Lankan net session. “Tom had a look and said, ‘This guy’s interesting’. Everyone was smiling because we hadn’t seen someone like that. He was very raw and didn’t have control but after a year he understood what he was doing and we realised he could be a thinking bowler.”

Mendis’ moment came less than a year ago when he took six for 13 against India in the final of the one-day Asia Cup. He made his Test debut later that month, also against India, and after Rahul Dravid became his first victim, he took 26 wickets at 18 in three Tests.

His stats are frightening: 34 Test wickets at 23; 64 one-day wickets at 13; 16 Twenty20 international wickets at seven and 155 first-class wickets at 16. Strike-rates and economy-rates are all more than acceptable. In the age of the batsman, these are throwback numbers, the sort of figures one would expect from the days of uncovered pitches.

Beyond Mendis and Murali, there is Lasith “Slinger” Malinga, the wild-haired fast man whose bowling arm is disconcertingly hidden behind the umpire until a 90mph ballistic is released with often devastating consequences.

Like Jayasuriya, these men are products not of a system but of a search, a widening of the net, championed by Arjuna Ranatunga, the World Cup-winning captain, to find players from beyond the elite, Colombo-based private schools.

If Sri Lanka have a weakness, one is tempted to say their fielding, yet in that discipline they have pushed the boundaries — literally. Angelo Mathews tried to catch West Indies’ Ramnaresh Sarwan on the long-on boundary, failed but kept the ball airborne as he went over the boundary. Seeing the ball was still in the air, he leapt and palmed it back into play before re-entering the field and returning the ball. His remarkable athleticism prompted an announcement from MCC, cricket’s law-makers, to confirm that his actions were legal because he was off the ground when he pushed the ball back in.

An expected victory over Ireland today will put Sri Lanka one step closer to a Lord’s final that six months ago in Lahore would have seemed unimportant and incomprehensible. After those terrifying attacks and the turmoil of their own country, Sri Lanka are surely the neutrals’ favourite to show the home of cricket next Sunday how the game should be really played.

Source : Times Online

Mendis should’ve been played more by KKR - Sangakkara

The Bridgeford Road in Nottingham on Monday night might well have been a street in Colombo with all the tooting car horns and waving Sri Lanka flags. It was a fantastic atmosphere and we savoured the moment after having outplayed Australia. That was the start and not the end of the World Twenty20, but our win against West Indies suggests that we have been able to carry that energy forward. Hopefully, the same will happen against Pakistan as well.

As captain, though, I am naturally delighted that we have started this tournament so positively, considering the tough group in which we were placed. I knew we had the skills and ability to top the group, it was just a matter of whether we had the self-belief on the match days — we answered that emphatically showing just how close-knit a unit we have become.

I know there were many that had written us off after the warm-up games, but to be honest that was not a big concern for me. Sri Lanka has never had a good record in warm-up games ahead of big events.

Special mention needs to be made for the spinners, Ajantha (Mendis) and Murali. They are magicians and they give us an X-factor.

In fact, I was surprised that Mendis did not play more games for the Knight Riders during the IPL. If used properly, Mendis is a genuine match-winner.

Sangakkara all praise for Mendis

Nottingham: Calling Ajantha Mendis “an attacking bowler,” Sri Lankan captain Kumar Sangakkara said bowlers of his ilk were a rarity.

“In Twenty20 cricket where the batsman has to attack almost every delivery he faces, to have a bowler like Mendis, with that mystery and that unpredictability, definitely adds to the attack,” said Sangakkara after Sri Lanka’s six-wicket win over Australia at Trent Bridge on Monday.

Ricky Ponting admitted that his side missed Andrew Symonds, who was sent home ahead of the tournament for breaching alcohol-related team rules. “His (Symonds) departure upset a lot of structures around the team,” the Aussie skipper said.

“Andrew is one of the best international players in this form of the game anywhere in the world. When you lose someone of that ability, it throws a spanner in your works.”

Ponting said he found it hard to comprehend Australia’s run of losses in T20.

“Actually, it is a worrying trend for the team and the group. We will address some of the areas we have been lacking in.

Sangakkara, Ponting hail Mendis

Ricky Ponting is bowled by Ajantha Mendis, Australia v Sri Lanka, ICC World Twenty20, Trent Bridge, June 8, 2009

Sri Lanka began their World Twenty20 campaign by ending Australia's stay in the competition. Their captain Kumar Sangakkara, leading the side for the first time, remained unbeaten and secured victory but reserved special mention for Ajantha Mendis, who revelled in his first outing against Australia in any format.

Ricky Ponting concurred, calling Mendis a "unique bowler" whom they had studied but failed to counter effectively. "We've all had an opportunity to see plenty of video footage of him, but when you're in a Twenty20 game and you've got to go out there and play a certain way, you've got to take the challenge up to the bowlers," Ponting, who was one of Mendis' victims, said. "Today he got the better of us.

"He certainly had a big impact on the game. That was probably the difference in the game that their spinner did dictate to us a little bit through the middle of our batting innings."

On the eve of the game Sangakkara had said that Mendis would have to adapt accordingly as batsmen became familiar with his modus operandi, dissecting him with the help of video analysis. The Australians, however, did not have first-hand experience of playing him and the result was 3 for 20 in four overs. He bowled Ponting with one that went the other way, halting a promising innings of 25 off 15 balls; trapped Shane Watson lbw and breached Michael Hussey's defences as well.

"In a Twenty20 game, where you have to attack almost every ball you play, to have unpredictability, that mystery around him [Mendis] is good," Sangakkara said. "Batsmen will get on top of him on some days but more often than not he's a wicket-taking bowler, an attacking bowler."

Sangakkara expressed surprise at Mendis not being a regular of the Kolkata Knight Riders but said the very fact that he was part of the Twenty20 tournament in South Africa, along with 12 other Sri Lankans, would have helped immensely. It may be coincidence but the players from countries with lesser Twenty20 match practice leading into the World Twenty20 - Pakistan, Bangladesh and Australia - have struggled in England.

"Even if some of the players did not get consistent games, the fact that they were there, rubbing shoulders with some of the greats of the game, learning from that experience [has helped them]. They were training hard, learning to innovate and it kept them on their toes."

Sri Lanka, as a cricket team and country, has gone through rough times in recent months. Today's game was their first international since the team survived the terror attacks in Lahore and their country recently witnessed the end of a bloody 26-year war. They were reminded of that strife as they approached the venue, where 70 pro-Tamil supporters were holding a lawful protest outside the ground. Sangakkara, though, said that playing cricket was their focus and the team wouldn't bother about anything that was outside their control.

Three hours later, though, the scene outside Trent Bridge had changed remarkably. The protesters had dissipated and the only sounds emanating from outside the ground were deliriously happy Sri Lankan, and Irish, fans singing and drumming they way down Bridgford Road.

Mendis Magic leads Australia out of T20 World Cup

Sri Lanka eliminated Australia from the ICC World Twenty20 with a six-wicket victory at Trent Bridge. Kumar Sangakkara played a captain's innings to lead them across the line, with an over to spare, as they chased 160 after Tillakaratne Dilshan sparked the pursuit with an innovative 53 off 32 balls. Australia were set back by a magnificent display from Ajantha Mendis, who bamboozled with his variations, and although the match went to the final over Sri Lanka always held the edge to book their Super Eights berth.

Australia's stay in this tournament - the international title they don't hold - lasted three days and now they face two extra weeks in Leicester to prepare for the Ashes series. Make no mistake, they desperately wanted to win this event, and further stock their trophy cabinet, but were short on their skills for the second game running against a highly impressive Sri Lanka outfit.

With Sangakkara at the crease there was a sense of calm about the run-chase, even when the asking rate grew in excess of nine-per-over for a moment in the closing stages, and he was aided by a sparkling cameo from Jehan Mubarak. When Mubarak came to the crease a charged-up Brett Lee had bounced out Chamara Silva and he followed it up with three dot balls. However, Lee sent down a wide and the extra ball of the over was clouted over deep midwicket and you could see Australian shoulders slump.

In the next over Sangakkara, one of the most impressive cricketers in the world on and off the field, completed a classy fifty off 40 balls with a delicate dab-sweep off Nathan Backen. With 14 needed off two overs there was no way back for Australia and Mubarak cleared the ropes again before a wide sealed their elimination.

When Australia slumped to 94 for 6 in the 15th over the match was shaping to be very one-sided, but they added 65 runs in the last five overs to give the bowlers something to defend. However, they needed early wickets and despite a fine catch by David Warner to remove Sanath Jayasuriya the game was carried away from them through a fine innings from Dilshan.

He took 16 off Shane Watson's flustered first over, showing his full range of shots including a mow over midwicket and a deft sweep over fine leg, while his 26-ball half-century arrived with an extraordinarily cheeky top-edge flick over the wicketkeeper's head. Dilshan needed some convincing to opening the batting, but his elevation has been a revelation and he has the power to clear the in-field but also the subtle touch to manoeuvre the ball.

It needed a cracking delivery from Michael Clarke - his first - that pitched on leg, spun and hit middle to end Dilshan's innings and a period of tight bowling from the spinners gave Australia a slim lifeline. Sangakkara and Mahela Jaywardene were content to deal in singles, but with the run-rate climbing fractionally Jaywardene tried to go over the top and got an outside edge to backward point.

Sangakkara, though, knew perfectly when to pick his moments and deposited Nathan Haurtiz for two sixes in his last over, which went for 16. Lee, under huge pressure after his pasting at the hands of West Indies, tried to conjure a comeback but Australia just hadn't made enough runs.

The tone had been set in the first over of the match when Warner carved Angelo Mathews - a surprise new-ball option on his debut - to point but the key was always going to be Sri Lanka's spin. Watson and Ricky Ponting had begun to locate the boundary regularly when Mendis was thrown the ball for the final over of the Powerplay and the game changed.

He could have had Watson leg before with his first ball as he was beaten by one turning from leg to off, then with the final delivery of a brilliant over he uprooted Ponting's leg stump as the captain backed away. In his next over Mendis nailed Watson on the sweep and the new batsmen were prodding and poking uncertainly against his multitude of variations.

However, it's not just with spin that Sri Lanka's attack has a magical touch. Lasith Malinga's first over had been expensive, but he is an irresistible cricketer who can produce wonderful moments and a superbly disguised slower ball made Brad Haddin look foolish as it dipped late and took out two stumps.

Captains can often be left scratching their heads in Twenty20, but today everything Sangakkara tried work perfectly. He brought back Isuru Udana and the young left-armer produced a classy slower-ball that Clarke could only chip back down the pitch, before Mendis claimed his third by pinning Michael Hussey with one that zipped off the surface.

The next over proved Australia's best of the innings as Muttiah Muralitharan was taken for 21 with Mitchell Johnson launching two huge slow-swept sixes over deep midwicket. The damage, though, had already been done and a team so used to competing in the final stages of global events are packing their bags after the first round.

Ajantha Mendis’s Carrom Ball signals end of bent arm ‘doosra’

World cricket has in recent years seen the advent of the ‘doosra’ - the offbreak that turns as a legbreak. Cricket also in the recent past has witnessed the reporting of various offspinners (but no leg spinners) from various countries for suspected bowling actions (chucking).

Since the reporting of Muttiah Muralitharan for a suspect bowling action and his clearing by the ICC’s tests at the University of W. Australia, there has been an increase of international off spinners bowling ‘doosras’ and being reported: Marlon Samuels, Johan Botha and Saeed Ajmal.

.This is not a coincidence. The problem for off spinners who bowl the ‘doosra’ is that they rotate the wrist inwards towards the head to get the back of the wrist facing the batsman to deliver the ‘doosra’ legbreak. This automatically bends the elbow. The reader can try it by cocking the wrist away from the head for a legb reak and towards the head for the off break. The former has a straight elbow and the latter has an elbow bending outwards.

The result is that when an offspinner such as those named above, bowls a "back of the wrist" doosra, the elbow flexes; the greater the "rip" imparted on the ‘doosra’, the larger the elbow flexion.

Not surprisingly, by just using published images of these ‘doosra’ bowlers and by measuring their elbow flexion above shoulder height in the delivery swing one can get an idea of the large degree of elbow bend imparted by bowling the ‘doosra’.

Taking published images of Botha, Murali, Samuels and Amjal, the average elbow bend is around 60 degrees (*). And for the big ‘doosra’ ripper’s of Botha and Murali the elbow bend is 70*.

Ajantha Mendis, the Army CC mystery spinner who burst onto the cricket scene last year and whose meteoric rise to international acclaim and respect, is an offnspinner whose arm action is impeccablen- indeed the army bowler’s arm is rifle straight!

His ‘doosra’ is different from the other bowlers: while they rotate their wrist to change from off spin to legmspin; Ajantha bowls with a straight wrist but uses his middle finger to impart leg spin to the ball. His "carrom" ball is actually a finger spinning ‘doosra’.

Ajantha developed this delivery on his own in the streets of Moratuwa, and as earlier described by this writer, he is the cricketing offspring of another humble village lad: Sonny Ramadhin who first discovered this delivery in a sugar plantation village in Trinidad some 60 years ago.

So why does a bowler risk the stigma of being reported for chucking by bowling the bent arm wrist ‘doosra’ when he can bowl the "Ajantha Mendis" finger ‘doosra’ and achieve the same leg spin with a straight arm?

Currently, off spinners all over the world are learning to bowl the wrist ‘doosra’, except in Australia where there are none - surprisingly for a country whose players do not hesitate to ignore, tread or overstep the line in various aspects of cricket such as sledging, over-rates, intimidation etc.

An unfortunate development is that locally and indeed all over the world, young players are emulating their bent arm idols and learning the wrist ‘doosra’. Coaches are being asked to teach the ‘doosra’. Do these coaches not know the bent arm ‘doosra’ is a no ball according to the law?

Despite the reporting of ‘doosra’ bowlers for suspect bowling, there is the call from some quarters including ex-cricketers to "legitimize" the ‘doosras’. Daryll Cullilan of South Africa said: "Bowling the ‘doosra’ is a skill and it makes the game more interesting."

But throwing a baseball is a skill (although some purists might disagree), so why not go the whole hog and allow this too? Terry Jenner, Shane Warne’s bowling coach says: "Why should we bend the rules for something that is not legal?

A top local umpire has declared that chucking is prevalent in schools cricket and the most "popular" is the off spinner’s ‘doosra’. But "there is no point in no balling or reporting the offence." Instead the umpires just notify the school coach in private.

Is this the legacy we wish to give to our children and the future cricket generations? For a country is that is renown for its gentle peoples and cultures, its traditions of fairness and the common way and its awards for the ‘Spirit of Cricket’, it may be fitting that Sri Lanka set in motion the call for the teaching and adoption of Ajantha’s finger ‘doosra’ instead of the current bent arm ‘doosra’.

It would be feather in the cap for the SL Cricket Board, its coaching section and the Umpires’ Association to lead the way in this important development and to fight for its adoption by the ICC and the MCC.

Just as a humble village lad started the "mystery" ball a long time ago and another humble lad of Chinese lineage gave us the "chinaman" ball, maybe our Moratuwa lad may one day be best remembered for the ‘Mendis doosra’ that ended the era of the bent arm offspiners.

Source : Lanka Times

More Shrapnel Removed from Ajantha Mendis - More Surgery is Performed

Ajantha Mendis required another round of surgery recently when scans revealed more shrapnel lodged in his scalp and back.

With his head almost completely wrapped in bandages, Mendis celebrated his 24th birthday today at the Nawaloka hospital in Colombo surrounded by friends and family.

He was still feeling some pain as the pain killers wore off.

A heavy security presence was also noted outside Ajantha’s room.

Pakistan are yet to make a breakthrough in their investigation. According to the Times Online the perpetrators may have already fled to the lawless tribal areas of Pakistan's North Western border with Afghanistan.

The sources said they feared that the rest of the 12 gunmen who attacked the Sri Lankans’ convoy on Tuesday had fled to Pakistan’s northern tribal areas, from where al-Qaeda and Taleban militants operate.

It is said that this is the same region where Bin Laden evaded capture many times. What chance does the Pakistani government have of capturing these individuals when the US with all their technology and man power could not find the tallest man in the region - A journalist who met bin Laden in the 1990s described him as 6 feet 4 inches in height.

So it seems inevitable the criminals who tarnished Pakistan's image and almost took the lives of Sri Lanka's national cricketers may never be brought to justice.

Ajantha Mendis still in hospital

Star spinner Ajantha Mendis, who underwent surgery on returning home after last Tuesday’s terror strike in Lahore, is still in Colombo’s Nawaloka Hospital.

While the Sri Lanka cricketers don’t have national engagements till the ICC World T20 meet in the first week of June, Mendis (and some of his compatriots) have Indian Premier League commitments to fulfil from next month.

Mendis is on the rolls of the Shah Rukh Khan-owned Kolkata Knight Riders. He was taken on board rather late in the inaugural season, last year, but is expected to be one of the impact-players in edition No.2.

“I can’t give you the exact date for Ajantha’s discharge… Perhaps, in another couple of days… The area (lower part of the head, right side) requires regular dressings, something which can’t be done in his house,” the premier hospital’s medical administrator told.

Source : The Telegraph
__________________

Real close shave for Ajantha Mendis | Sri lankan Team attacked in Pak

Ajantha Mendis, who made such a splash on his Sri Lanka debut last year and is a Shah Rukh Khan Knight, had a much closer escape than reported in the hours immediately after Tuesday morning’s terror strike in Lahore.

“The doctors haven’t confirmed, but it’s feared that a bullet grazed the right side of Ajantha’s head… It’s not that he was struck by shrapnel only,” Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) chief executive Duleep Mendis told.

Speaking from Colombo on Wednesday evening, Mendis added: “Ajantha’s in hospital, as are four others… There’s some concern over (Thilan) Samaraweera, who took bullets in his leg and has undergone surgery, but the others should be discharged in a couple of days…”

Ajantha, Samaraweera, captain-in-waiting Kumar Sangakkara, Tharanga Paranavitana and assistant coach Paul Farbrace have all been admitted to the Nawaloka Hospital in Colombo, Sri Lanka’s premier medical institution.

While Mendis didn’t say that Ajantha too had been operated upon, a spokesman for the hospital conveyed that in as many words.

“I don’t have details, but Ajantha has also undergone surgery… His wound necessitated that,” a gentleman who identified himself as being from the “administrative side,” said around 10 pm.

Ajantha, an armyman, is days away from his 24th birthday.

Meanwhile, according to Mendis, SLC intends “doing something” for the team bus driver, Mohammad Khalil, who kept calm and drove the vehicle to safety.

From Sangakkara to Muttiah Muralidharan, everybody has praised Khalil for his courage and presence of mind.

“We’ll be doing something for the driver… We’re very appreciative of the role he played… Right now, though, our priority is to see that the injured are quickly back to good health,” Mendis pointed out.

Mendis, a former captain, too had gone to Lahore on the special flight which brought the Mahela back home.

The Sri Lanka cricketers don’t have international commitments till the World T20 meet in England, which begins on June 5.

So, there’s time to recover from the wounds, both physical and emotional.

Source : The Telegraph.

Learn to read batsmen's mind, Jayawardene's advice to Mendis

After the recent thrashing against India, mystery spinner Ajantha Mendis needs to work on reading the batsmen's mind to regain his lost spark, believes Sri Lanka's outgoing skipper Mahela Jayawardene.
"India is one of the top sides today and they played very well against us. We have played them a lot in recent times and I think they played Mendis very capably," Jayawardene today said after arriving here for a two-Test series against Pakistan.

"He now has to realise that the surprise element is out and he now has to become a much smarter bowler and come up with new tricks and learn to read the mind of the batsmen. He has got Muralitharan with him who is a very good teacher," he added when asked about Mendis, who came a cropper in the recent ODI series against India which the Lankans lost 1-4.

Jayawardene once again sidestepped queries on who his successor would be when he steps down after the upcoming two-Test series against Pakistan.

"...I think the final decision is with the selectors whom they pick," Jayawardene, who will step down as captain after the two-Test series against Pakistan, said in a news conference in Karachi.

Jayawardene reiterated that his decision would allow Sri Lanka to be better prepared for the 2011 World Cup in South Asia

Mendis will bounce back: Jayawardene

Ajantha Mendis might have suffered a poor run in the recent ODI series against India but Sri Lanka skipper Mahela Jayawardene believes the mystery spinner will soon make a successful comeback.

Mendis burst onto the international scene with his mesmerising spell against India last year but hit a rough patch in the recent series against India and was also rested in the fourth ODI. He scalped only five wickets in the series.

"Yes definitely (he'll hit form). This is probably the time he has to learn the ropes. The inception was brilliant. Everyone was surprised by the talent he had.

"Like all the international cricketers, he just has to try and adjust," Jayawardene told reporters.

"I think it is a good challenge for him to adjust. Do different things like what Murali did for the last 15 or 16 years, creating new opportunities, bowling different things.

"Specially having Muttiah Muralitharan alongside him will definitely help him to achieve those targets and goals and we have to be patient with Ajantha and give him the opportunity he needs," Jayawardene added.

Sachin helped me tackle Mendis: Yuvi

It was carnival time for the India batsmen in Colombo and one of the man leading the carnage against Lanka, Yuvraj Singh summed up the Indian mood post the win and of course he thanked Little Master Sachin Tendulkar for his tips that helped him tackle spin wizard Ajantha Mendis.

It was lip-smacking to the core, Yuvraj Singh was the toast of Premadasa and it took just 82 balls for hs century, and the acknowledgement went straight to the dressing room.

Adressing the media after the win, Yuvi said, "He (Sachin) actually gave me plans to play Mendis in this series because last time I got out to him a few times so I was chatting with Sachin who told me a few points, which really helped me in getting through in the initial overs. I'll give credit to Sachin for helping me."

Playing in tandem with Sehwag has been a rarity for the lef-hander. However, when he got this opportunity he did not want to let go off it.

He said, "I don't remember me and Viru batting together and getting a hundred. Because normally Viru is batting up the order. By the time i get to the crease he is out on hundred or I am there till he gets 250 or 300 runs. I don't get to bat much with him. But I really enjoyed batting with him."

The Little Master was third time unlucky in this series. However, Yuvi warned his opponents that Sachin will be back with a bang.

Mendis form not a worry, says Jayawardene

Feb 1, 2009

COLOMBO (AFP) — Sri Lanka captain Mahela Jayawardene said Sunday that spinner Ajantha Mendis would come back strongly after getting just two wickets in as many matches against India in the ongoing one-day series.

"We cannot ask a 23-year-old to pick four wickets in every game. I am sure Ajantha will bounce back. It is not a huge concern for me," said the Sri Lankan skipper, whose team trail 2-0 in the five-match series.

The unorthodox spinner grabbed 19 wickets in his first six matches against India, including a 6-13 performance in his team's victory in the Asia Cup final in Karachi in July 2008.

But he went wicketless for the first time against India in the opening game in Dambulla and took two in the second match here on Saturday, having so far conceded 91 runs in 20 overs.

"Right now, they are playing him well. Let him learn. The batsmen also adjust themselves and then the bowlers try to change what they want to do and that's how they learn," said Jayawardene.

"He is still bowling well and creating opportunities. He is probably not picking wickets because the batsmen are not taking too many risks against him."

Mendis played a key role in his team's Test series victory against India at home last year when he captured 26 wickets -- the best by any bowler in a debut three-match series.

He also became the fastest to complete 50 one-day wickets recently, achieving the feat in 19 matches. He has so far bagged 61 wickets in 26 games.

India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni said he was happy his team had not given too many wickets to Sri Lankan spinners Mendis and Muttiah Muralitharan in the first two one-dayers.

"I won't say that our batsmen have got the better of the Sri Lankan spinners. There are still three more games to go. They are not getting wickets, but at the same time they are not giving away too many runs," said Dhoni.

"We are cautious and targeting other bowlers. We are happy that we are not giving wickets to the spinners."

Fan-actics “X-Mendis”

Thanks to Ceci Masters

Source - theflyslip

Mendis is not a threat for us: Dhoni

Playing down the threat from the new spin sensation of Sri Lanka Ajantha Mendis, Indian cricket team captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni said on Monday his team is not wary of playing him.

Addressing the media in Colombo on the upcoming five One-day International series against Sri Lanka beginning on Wednesday in Dambulla, the Indian skipper, however, said it is always "tough to beat Sri Lanka in Sri Lanka".

Asked how his team was going to face Mendis, who ran though their batting order in the Test series in Colombo last year, Dhoni said they had a measure of the spinner during the subsequent ODI series, which India won.

"We did well against him in ODIs, so there is no need for us to worry too much about him or any individuals. Our boys are ready to face the challenges ahead," said the Indian skipper.

Dhoni said although the weather conditions may look the same in the neighbouring countries, but it is not so.

"The conditions are not the same. The pitches in Sri Lanka perform differently as the match progresses. A lot depends on the toss," he said, indicating that India won all the matches against Sri Lanka last year after winning the toss.

Dhoni said although the team was missing Harbhajan Singh, the senior member of the team's spin department, it has given a golden opportunity for the upcoming youngsters to perform and prove their talents.

According to the rescheduled tournament itinerary, only the first one-day international (ODI) will be played at Dambulla Rangiri Stadium while the remaining games will be held in Colombo (January 30, February 2, 5 and 8).

The only Twenty20 International will be played in Colombo February 10. Three ODIs will be played under lights at R Premadasa Stadium while the fifth one-dayer will be a day game at the Sinhalese Sports Club, also in Colombo.

The series was hastily scheduled after India cancelled its tour to Pakistan in January-February following the Mumbai terror attacks.

Sri Lanka, which is boosted by its two emphatic back-to-back wins over Pakistan last week, will fly back to Pakistan in February to play two Tests after hosting India.

I will have no problems against Mendis, says Sehwag

On the eve of the Indian cricket team's departure for Sri Lanka for a one-day series, dashing opener Virender Sehwag has sought to put the rivals on the backfoot, saying he had done his homework against mystery spinner Ajantha Mendis and would not hesitate to attack him.
Sehwag said his knowledge of the nuances of the game made it easy for him to deal with mystery bowlers like Mendis.

"I am exceptionally aware of the nuances of the game. I know what's happening, who is where and how to take advantage of him in the field. I studied him (Mendis) during the Asia Cup in Pakistan. Even at non-striker's end, I kept following his methods. His style when he is bowling off-spin, googly, or pushing it through middle finger.

"So I have no problem in attacking him. A bowler is demoralised if he knows that a batsman has read him completely", Sehwag told in an interview.

He said a bowler like Mendis preferred to keep three or four fielders close to bat. "It means there are open spaces in the field. Even a mis-hit can give you boundaries," he explained.

"Unlike the accepted norm, I find hitting against the spin more profitable. It allows one to free one's arms," he said.

The explosive right-hander, who claimed that he never looks back in regret, said his big knocks won't count anything for him if the team had not won ultimately.

"I never look back. I have never looked back on those innings. What is gone is gone, it's over," he asserted.

Can Ajantha Mendis calm Dhoni and company this time?

The high riding Indians on a crest of a wave of their recent success against the World Champions Australia and England will take Mahela Jayawardena’s Sri Lankan one day cricket status to the acid test when they arrive in the Island tomorrow (Monday) to play 5 One-Day Internationals.

Ajantha Mendis will give the Indian cricketers all the problems...

Sri Lanka who won the Test series 2-1, but was roundly beaten 3/2 in the ODI series by Dhoni’s men back home last August, will find the Indians led by the exemplary young captain a huge stumbling block in trying to redress things when they meet again. While Jayawardena and Co. will enjoy a big home advantage, the Indian dominance bringing down Ricky Ponting’s Aussies and Kevin Pietersen’s Englishmen speaks very tall of a team that has found the winning formula with a combination of all his units.

Dhoni who had declared himself out of the Test series against the Lankans last year, played an important role as captain and batsman in the limited overs, helping to outwit Sri Lanka when they last met in Sri Lanka less than a year ago. The strong point of the Indian team is that the batting department has improved tremendously with the likes of Yuvaraj Singh contributing enormously to a side that has been consistently held together by the big hitting opener Virender Sehwag who had a fine stint against Australia and England.

Then add the inform Gautham Gambhir, ‘little master’ Sachin Tendulkar and the skipper Dhoni himself, it will be a huge proportion to the Sri Lankan bowlers.

It is interesting to see as to how the Indians will cope up with Ajantha Mendis who mesmerised them in the Asia Cup final, which the Lankans won. Then the subsequent home Test series July-August 2008 where Mendis inflicted irreparable damage to the Indian side to take the Test series 2-1. India’s ace spinner Harbhajan Singh will miss the series due to a hamstring injury and his place will be taken by left-handed allrounder Ravindra Jadeja who has been enjoying a fairly successful Ranji Trophy season, taking 42 wickets in 9 matches and scoring 739 runs.

The Sri Lankans will be mindful that the Indian batting machinery had the fire power to destroy Australia and England and it will require a gigantic effort from the Lankan bowlers to address that area.

However, Sri Lankan skipper Mahela Jayawardena is fully focused in the on - going ODI series against Pakistan which both teams have won a match each and the final to be played on Saturday.

Itinerary

January 26 Monday: arrival of Indian team. Jan. 27 Rest and practice. January 28 First: ODI Dambulla-Day match January: 29 and 30 rest and practice. 31st Sat. 2nd ODI at R. Premadasa Stadium D/N. Feb. 1st and 2nd rest and practice. Feb. 3: 3rd ODI R. Premadasa Stadium D/N. Feb. 4 rest. Feb. 5: 4th ODI R. Premadasa Stadium D/N. Feb. 6 and 7 rest and practice. Feb. 8: 5th ODI SSC Day match. Feb. 9 rest. Feb.10 Twenty20 game at R.Premadasa Stadium D/N.

Teams:

India. Mahendra Singh Dhoni (Captain), Virender Sehwag, Gautham Gambhir, Sachin Tendulkar, Yuvaraj Singh, Rohith Sharma, Suresh Raina, R.Jadeja, Yusuf Pathan, Zaheer Khan, Ishant Sharma, Munaf Patel, Pragyan Ojha, Irfan Pathan, Preveen Kumar, Coach. Gary Kirsten.

Sri Lanka: Mahela Jayawardena (Captain), Sanath Jayasuriya, T.M. Dilshan, Kumar Sangakkara, Thilina Kandamby, Chamara Kapugedera, Farveez Maharoof, Thilina Thushara, Jehan Mubarak, Angelo Mathew, Muthiah Muralidharan, Ajantha Mendis, Dilhara Fernando, Dammika Prasad.

Mendis, Hodge sign longer contracts | IPL 2009

Ajantha Mendis

Calcutta: Kolkata Knight Riders signed two of their replacement players from the last season — Sri Lankan spin sensation Ajantha Mendis and seasoned Australian batsman Brad Hodge — on longer contracts.

Mendis has arguably been the best bowler in the world in recent months and is sure to be a big attraction when the second season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) kicks off April 10.

Delhi DareDevils have bought Australian batting sensation David Warner and allrounder Andrew MacDonald while Deccan Chargers have roped in Ryan Harris, also of Australia, for the second edition of the IPL.

The closure of the month-long trading window on Thursday saw a total of seven players being traded, according to a media release.

The Mumbai Indians signed the West Indian Dwayne Bravo, while the Chennai Super Kings inked a long-term contract with Sri Lankan Chamara Kapugedera, the release added.

Royal Challengers Bangalore swapped Zaheer Khan for Karnataka Ranji Trophy captain Robin Uthappa (Mumbai Indians). In another exchange, Ashish Nehra of the Mumbai Indians was swapped for left-handed batsman Shikhar Dhawan of the Delhi DareDevils.

Jaydev Shah of the Rajasthan Royals — captain of the Saurashtra Ranji team — will play for the Mumbai Indians.

Batsman Gaurav Dhiman of the Mumbai Indians will turn out for Royal Challengers Bangalore and Rajasthan pacer Pankaj Singh, of the Rajasthan Royals, will don the colours of the team from Bangalore in the coming IPL season.

Australian MacDonald featured in his country’s consolation Test win in Sydney, whilst Warner made a sensational Twenty20 debut — both against South Africa.

Amrit Mathur, chief operating officer of the Delhi DareDevils, was excited about his new addition.

“We are really delighted to have signed David. “His debut game for Australia the other day has been sensational and we are hoping he will carry forward this brilliance into season two of the IPL,” he said.

The IPL player auction for the second season will take place in Goa on February 6, where franchises will have the opportunity to purchase current international players to fill the remaining slots for overseas players in their squads.