I couldn't watch this match today, but I am sure this guy is going to go places.
Ajantha Mendis, I read today, tore apart the famed Indian batting order winning the Asia cup Solo for Sri Lanka.
His analyis today - 8 Overs 1 Maiden 13 runs 6 wickets !!
His Victims - Sehwag, Raina, Yuvraj, Rohit Sharma, Irfan Pathan, RP.Singh.
I got goosebumps while I was reading his bowling highlights in CRICINFO.
- People of a certain vintage will most likely refer to him as a finger bowler.
- The ball was squeezed in the kind of grip Jack Iverson had, or for locals, similar to how you would strike the striker on a carrom board.
- On pitching and regaining its original shape again the ball would shoot through, with sharp spin either way, predictably leaving batsmen none the wiser.
- Mahendra Singh Dhoni said later that he just couldn't be read at all.
- Mahela Jayawardene admitted he'd been bowled a couple of times facing Mendis.
- Kumar Sangakkarra spent an hour a day in the nets before the tournament keeping to Mendis, trying to pick up his variations.
- It's one thing, Jayawardene said, to read him from the hand, another altogether to then play him off the pitch.
PS - Let's not forget the great Jayasuriya for his 125 today ! This guy amazes me everytime he plays. 114 balls with 9 fours and 5 sixers for his 125 runs !!
5 comments:
May be he Mendis is a great bowler. Can't the Indians check the tapes of his ball release and play accordingly. I'm surprised to hear comments from Dhoni that he couldn't read him. That's total bu*****t. Very poor thinking from the Indians.
Anon - Thanks for your thoughts. Looking at the action, it's difficult the first few times until you really ready him. Difficult action IMHO.
That said, time will tell, in this era of technology...if Mendis can be read.
IMHO - Being an ex-crickter myself..it's tough...Even if someone reads him..!
I would love to see this guy bowl against Aussies !
I personaly feel that Indians have not taken this game seriously...like the IPL, well this srilankan bowler is realy interesting...
guru...
romba early paraatu....!
let him continue his good work!!
pls check the record of jayasuriya..he has scored only against indians...!!
had the catch wud hv been taken when he is 67...hade the catch wud hv been taken when dilshan is 37...
hmmmm....
we dont to deserve to win..atleast on last sunday!!!
yeah agreed, Ajanta is a great talent... even before the match begun, when I read through the line-up, i sized up the tricks up Mahela's sleeves and predicted - its SL's Asia cup this year... but, we should watch out for the upcoming test series... I am sure, India would have done the homework to decipher the "carrom-bowler"
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