"Incandescent with the White Light of Spin Bowling Magic"
Thanks to AP Webster for that brilliant description of Ajantha Mendis.
I said it here and now I'll say it again.
Shane Warne, Muttiah Muralitharan, Anil Kumble - move over. All your records are going to be broken by this man.
Balapuwaduge Ajantha Winslo Mendis.
Give him 10 years, and as long as his fingers stay intact, he will break all bowling records - tests and ODIs.
When I wrote that I mentioned these figures:
vs West Indies: 10-0-39-3
vs UAE: 6.3-1-22-5
vs Pakistan: 10-0-47-4
ODI Career: 40.3-3-163-12
Add to this what Mendis did to India today.
8-1-13-6
He did that to arguably the best batting side in the world and definitely the best players of spin.
He did that to a team that Shane Warne could never dominate. Well Warne hasn't played against these players but you know what I mean.
He dominated them, he tormented them, he murdered them, and he buried them as India fell to their worse defeat in recent times.
ODI Career: 56-4-205-20
He could win a test match alone with those figures!
Truly the "Incandescent with the White Light of Spin Bowling Magic"
For all the history on Ajantha Mendis:
Do You Know Ajantha Mendis
Visual Proof of Ajantha Mendis' Trickery
The Perfect Answer to "Do You Know Ajantha Mendis"
I said it here and now I'll say it again.
Shane Warne, Muttiah Muralitharan, Anil Kumble - move over. All your records are going to be broken by this man.
Balapuwaduge Ajantha Winslo Mendis.
Give him 10 years, and as long as his fingers stay intact, he will break all bowling records - tests and ODIs.
When I wrote that I mentioned these figures:
vs West Indies: 10-0-39-3
vs UAE: 6.3-1-22-5
vs Pakistan: 10-0-47-4
ODI Career: 40.3-3-163-12
Add to this what Mendis did to India today.
8-1-13-6
He did that to arguably the best batting side in the world and definitely the best players of spin.
He did that to a team that Shane Warne could never dominate. Well Warne hasn't played against these players but you know what I mean.
He dominated them, he tormented them, he murdered them, and he buried them as India fell to their worse defeat in recent times.
ODI Career: 56-4-205-20
He could win a test match alone with those figures!
Truly the "Incandescent with the White Light of Spin Bowling Magic"
For all the history on Ajantha Mendis:
Do You Know Ajantha Mendis
Visual Proof of Ajantha Mendis' Trickery
The Perfect Answer to "Do You Know Ajantha Mendis"
Incredible that no coach came to mangle his action or approach; incredible that one after another maverick comes out of the Great Lankan Freak Factory. I guess mendis is bowlers' legitimate response to KP's switch-hitting.
Som, I actually read an article some time back on cricinfo which described how Lankans like Murali, Jayasuriya, Malinga, Mendis were never told to alter their approach, actions, etc... the article mentioned that the secret of these guys success lied in their natural ability.
True that man.
he seems a good prospect...but a good prospect only...
batsmen were playing hm for turn which was never there...i dont think it will take more time by batsmen across world to actually see this...
and once the novelty factor or honeymoon is over it will be interesting to see how he cops with it...
but for now...it has excited me enough from out of boredom that i am really looking fwd to sl series and the face-off with our batsmen...
picture abhi baaki hai mere dost...
I saw the match yesterday and i felt that if indian's could have attempted to sweep and come on the front foot they could have tackled him better.
SP - picture abhi definitely baaki hai!! Shud be a cracker SL-Ind series.
It will also be interesting to see if Mendis plays the test matches.
Anon - maybe the batsmen will keep that in mind going forward.
Q, do you think he should be rushed to test? will it be too early for him to come to terms with all the attention he is getting/will get...
it can backfire on SL...i for once let him find his roots in ODIs...
what say?
Q, "definitely the best players of spin", that is historically true, but not of this side. Yuvraj, Uthappa, Irfan, Rohit Sharma looked clueless. This will happen if you've got a batting line-up full of hitters who lack technique to play quality spin.
Yes, this will make the Ind-SL ODI series worth watching. Not sure if Mendis will make it to the Test XI, then the merrier. I would be interested in how the Big3 tackle him, esp, Dravid. Now that, would be a good contest to watch!
so .. SL was saved by the army ;) .. wish him good luck for a shinning career in cricket ..
and Sanath, you proved that "age is nothing but a number" ;) .. you lifted our spirits in late 30s.
Congrats SL brothers
SP, maybe it won't be wise to rush him to tests but his domestic record in first class cricket is way more impressive than his List A record.
Jayawardene spoke of how important it ws for Mendis to play along side Murali before Murali hung up his boots... just for that reason he may get some tests.
If SL play 2 spinners then Mendis would be the 2nd choice.
VM - I agree with your point. The new generation may not be as good players of spin as the previous ones.
More than how Dravid would tackle him, Im licking my lips at the prospect of him bowling to Sachin!
Anon - Sanath is pure magic... I have never seen a 39 year old who can be more brutal!