Birthday special: Ajantha Mendis – Five best spells by the mystery spinner
When he first arrived on the international scene, Ajantha Mendis was a ‘terror’ for batsmen. The willow wielders could not pick his clever variations, and Mendis literally proved to be unplayable. There was an element of ‘mystery’ that was attached to him in his initial days, and Mendis was a potent weapon in his team’s arsenal.
The Sri Lankan spinner had a successful stint at the international level for his country and picked up 288 wickets. With Mendis turning 37 on 11th March 2022, let us take a look at the 5 best spells from the Sri Lankan bowling wizard.
5) 6/99 vs Bangladesh (Tests)
In February 2014, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka locked horns against each other at Chittagong. The Sri Lankan side won the toss and had no hesitation to bat first. Kumar Sangakkara absolutely decimated the Bangladeshi bowlers and scored a masterly 319. He was ably supported by Mahela Jayawardene, who scored a composed 72, as Sri Lanka piled up a total of 587 runs on the board.
In reply, Bangladesh scored 426, with Shamsur Rahman and Imrul Kayes scoring centuries. But then, even on a pitch that was a batting beauty, Ajantha Mendis made his presence felt. The spinner scalped 6 wickets and gave away just 99 runs in the first innings. In the second essay, Sangakkara and Dinesh Chandimal scored centuries and helped Sri Lanka set the hosts a target of 467. Mominul Haque scored a century in the second innings for Bangladesh as the match ended in a tame draw.
4) 6/8 vs Zimbabwe (T20Is)
Zimbabwe suffered humiliation at the hands of Sri Lanka on 18th September 2012 at Hambantota. And, it was the spell from Mendis that made the Zimbabwe willow wielders appear totally flummoxed. Zimbabwe won the toss and sent the hosts in to bat.
And, Sri Lanka posted a commanding total of 182 in their 20 overs, with batting legend Kumar Sangakkara leading the way with a classy 26-ball 44. In reply, the visitors were shot out for just 100, and the destroyer-in-chief with the ball was Ajantha Mendis. In the 4 overs that he bowled, Mendis conceded just 8 runs and scalped 6 wickets to completely wipe out the Zimbabwe batting line up. Sri Lanka thrashed their opponents by 82 runs.
3) 5/56 vs India (Tests)
In August 2008, India and Sri Lanka locked horns against each other in the third Test at Colombo. India won the toss and decided to get their blades out. Gautam Gambhir was the only batsman who looked comfortable out in the middle. In his 128-ball stay, the opener scored 72, as India finished their first innings with a total of 249 runs on the board. And, it was Mendis who continuously put the brakes on the Indian side.
The spinner took 5 wickets and gave away just 56 runs. In reply, Kumar Sangakkara scored a scintillating 144, to help Sri Lanka post 396 on the board. Even in India’s second innings, Mendis picked up 3 wickets, including the crucial ones of Rahul Dravid and Sachin Tendulkar to help Sri Lanka thrash the Indian side by 8 wickets.
2) 6/16 vs Australia (T20Is)
On 8th August 2011, Sri Lanka defeated Australia in a thrilling encounter at Pallekele, and the entire credit for Sri Lanka’s victory should be given to Ajantha Mendis. Sri Lanka won the toss and decided to bat first. Led by a masterly 86 from Mahela Jayawardene, Sri Lanka posted a total of 157 runs on the board.
At the end of the 5th over, the Australian scorecard read 64/0, and both the Aussie openers, Shane Watson and David Warner ripped apart the Sri Lankan bowling attack. But, the introduction of Mendis changed the course of the match completely. The spinner took a staggering 6 wickets, and gave away just 16 runs in his 4 overs, as Sri Lanka bounced back to beat the visitors by 8 runs.
1) 6/13 vs India (ODIs)
This was the spell that announced the arrival of Ajantha Mendis in the cricketing world. In the final of the 2008 Asia Cup, Mendis absolutely destroyed the famed Indian batting line up. Sri Lanka batted first and scored 273, with the legendary Sanath Jayasuriya scoring 125 off 114 deliveries. In reply, the Indian side was cruising, with the scoreboard reading 76/1 after 9 overs. But once again, Mendis turned the game on its head.
The right-arm spinner picked up 6 wickets, giving away just 13 runs. Mendis’ guile proved to be the undoing of the Indian batsmen in the summit clash. Sri Lanka won the match by 100 runs, and Mendis won the Player of the Match award for his scintillating performance with the ball.
