ICC World T20 - The Mendis factor (Part 1) - Opinion
The mystery spinner from Moratuwa needs no introduction. He comes about as a passive individual who speaks little, yet has a voracious appetite for wickets. For him, it is all about a couple of steps, a straight forward action and then a diabolical deployment
of an array of deliveries which turn, zip and fox, some of the most astute batsmen around the world. In days when Muttiah Muralitharan was the king of spin from the Emerald Isle, http://www.senore.com/Cricket/BAW-Mendis-c1127 managed to instill a threat of his own, and now with the great
Murali having retired, Mendis continues to wreak havoc against some of the most formidable batting line ups around the world, on a regular basis. He definitely isn’t ordinary, and the ICC World T20 of 2012 could well and truly be a tournament that this spinner
could dominate and make his own.
The Sri Lankan cricket team are certainly pleased to have him, as his reputation for being an all out attacker, has helped him decimate batting line ups around the world, as if they were a stack of cards. He is indispensable in the T20 format, despite whispers
of him being decoded to the very core by various oppositions. Regardless of this, the truth is that Ajantha Mendis needs to be dealt with respect, like his contemporaries. Never before has a bowler made such a huge impact on Sri Lankan cricket, since the retired
http://www.senore.com/Cricket/M-Muralitharan-c1864 did, in his prime. Mendis is definitely in a league of his own, as his variations are not only hard to pick, but mandate considerable dexterity from the batsmen, of whom many are seen rattled, ruffled and bamboozled to the very core.
It was the Zimbabwean batsmen this time, which had to bear the brunt of this magnificent spinner in the opening match of the http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Sri-Lanka-c758’s total of 182,
bordered on the preposterous, when Ajantha Mendis was introduced into the attack. The Lankans did take some http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Zimbabwe-c3045 off to a decent start and ensured that the beleaguered minnows stood
with a fighting chance. Just when a hint of renaissance was creeping into the Zimbabwean fold, the ball was thrown to Ajantha Mendis who went about his usual business, of snaring prized scalps. He did not disappoint.
He bowled with such impunity that it became difficult to dislike him, even if you were a Zimbabwean batsman or fan. He foxed his victims, with an array of canny variations, which ranged from conventional off breaks to carom balls. Zimbabwe not only faltered
in terms of picking them, but they capitulated so badly, that in a blink of an eye, they found themselves at 6 for 80 in 14 overs after they were 37 for 1 in the sixth over, at one stage. Wickets kept on tumbling as Mendis ensured that the Zimbabwe were stifled,
chained and caged. The beating of drums, and the raucous approval from the Sri Lankan fans, which came in the form of dancing in the aisles, was the ideal backdrop for a buoyant Sri Lankan outfit.
The hosts managed to beat Zimbabwe into submission in the end, and Mendis managed to etch his name into the record books, once again, by becoming the first bowler in T20 cricket to record figures of 6 for 8. He surpassed his own best of picking up a six-wicket
haul against the Aussies in 2011. That spell was a prime example of this mystery man, unleashing a bag of tricks which denied a top notch opposition, a victory. Had it not been for Mendis, the game was well and truly over for Sri Lanka.
To be continued….
Disclaimer: Any views and opinions expressed in this article are solely of the author and do not represent Bettor.com's official editorial policy.
Tags: