Murali and Mendis lead 129-run rout

Pakistan v Sri Lanka, 2nd ODI, Karachi

The Bulletin by Sriram Veera

January 21, 2009

Sri Lanka 290 for 8 (Dilshan 76, Kandamby 59, Gul 4-58) beat Pakistan 161 (Butt 62, Malik 54, Muralitharan 3-19, Mendis 3-29) by 129 runs
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out

	Dilshan kickstarted Sri Lanka's charge with a signature innings, attempting and executing some audacious strokes early on © AFP

Sri Lanka levelled the series 1-1 with a crushing win, thanks to a convincing all-round performance in Karachi. Tillakaratne Dilshan hit a sparkling half-century to take Sri Lanka to a strong total, before Nuwan Kulasekara and Muttiah Muralitharan shot out the hosts cheaply. Salman Butt and Shoaib Malik resisted with a 108-run partnership, but Muralitharan removed Malik to trigger a stunning collapse.

Sri Lanka were much more disciplined today. Though they contrived to lose pole position time and again, someone did put up their hand up to help them tide over the various mini-crises. The attacking Dilshan made good for Sanath Jayasuriya's hit-wicket dismissal and Kumar Sangakkara's suicidal run-out. And after Dilshan's exit, Thilina Kandamby - who replaced Jehan Mubarak from the XI in the first ODI - took charge of the run-making, allowing out-of-form captain Mahela Jayawardene to find his bearing.

The strong point for the visitors was that even after the soft dismissals of Kandamby, Jayawardene and Chamara Kapugedera, they didn't disintegrate in the end overs.

During the chase, Muralitharan got into the act after Mendis had failed to impress initially, and Butt and Malik threatened to post a stiff fight. Muralitharan, brought into the attack in the 22nd over, struck the vital blow in his second over, removing Malik with a doosra that spun and bounced to get the edge. Butt fell tamely to Jayasuriya, chipping a leading edge to cover in the next over, before Sri Lanka ran amok. It was a complete surrender from the lower half against Muralitharan and Mendis, just as the top half had floundered against Kulasekara.

Kulasekara, Sri Lanka's Ifthikhar Anjum, looks steady and unglamorous but he knows his role in the team and is aware of his limited craft. Unlike Anjum, whose main delivery is the away-going one, Kulasekara's chief wicket-taking ball is the in-cutter with which he picked up two quick wickets.

Khurram Manzoor was trapped leg before in front of the off stump and Younis Khan dragged one on to the stumps. And when Thilan Thushara had Misbah-ul-Haq caught behind, it appeared that the chase was going to get over even before it began.

Dilshan had kickstarted Sri Lanka's charge with a signature innings, attempting and executing some audacious strokes early on. The third ball of the day, from Shoaib Akhtar, was a legcutter that moved away from off stump but Dilshan attempted a flamboyant flick over midwicket and was comprehensively beaten. On another day, he might have got an edge and his shot selection would have come under the scanner. Not today, though.

When the strokes came off, they looked spectacular. He swung Shoaib over midwicket off a free-hit, survived a close shout for lbw before unfurling a couple of pulls and a cut against the same bowler. Shoaib leaked four fours in his second over and was taken out of the attack. Dilshan, however, continued stylishly against the other bowlers. He cheekily lapped a short-of-a-length delivery on middle and leg from Iftikhar Anjum over the short fine-leg fielder and lashed a full delivery over point with panache.

However, Sri Lanka's season of self-created agony continued to haunt them. Jayasuriya was out hit wicket for the first time in his 426-ODI career and Sangakkara ran himself out. It would have been worse for Sri Lanka had Kamran Akmal not given more ammunition to his critics.

Kandamby stabbed a Shahid Afridi slider on 16 but Akmal dropped it, following which he went on to pick his singles and twos in a calm manner to keep the score moving. Akmal later sought redemption with a sharp, low catch to his right to get rid of Jayawardene.

Kapugedara controlled the death overs to give Sri Lanka a total that they defended without breaking much sweat.

Sriram Veera is a staff writer at Cricinfo

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Pakistan focus on Mendis

Sri Lanka in Pakistan 2008-09

Cricinfo staff

January 18, 2009

	Ajantha Mendis has taken seven wickets from 14 overs in two matches against Pakistan © AFP

Pakistan's batsmen have been practising on shorter pitches to try and counter the threat of Ajantha Mendis in the three-match ODI series against Sri Lanka, which begins on Tuesday at the National Stadium in Karachi.

Mendis, the quickest bowler to 50 ODI wickets, has been a dominant theme in Pakistan's thinking ahead of the short series. Pakistan have come across Mendis twice, once in the Asia Cup and then in the final of the four-nation Twenty 20 in Canada. Seven wickets in 14 overs in the two games means Pakistan aren't wrong to focus heavily on him.

One man who has succeeded against him is Misbah-ul-Haq, who made 76 in a losing cause during the Asia Cup and an unbeaten 23 in the Twenty20 final. The Pakistan vice-captain took 27 runs off 24 Mendis deliveries in Karachi last year, including two sixes and a four, before he was bowled slogging. He believes a similarly aggressive approach might help dent his effectiveness.

"We saw him in the Asia Cup and even though he took four wickets, he went for a few runs [47]," said Misbah. "We will definitely try to attack and unnerve him. It's in the mind. If you allow a bowler to dominate you, he will and if you don't, he won't."

A number of Pakistan's batsmen have spoken of the pace which Mendis bowls at as being the key to his success. So reading him off the pitch or from the hand, goes the thinking, is important, but not as much as adjusting to his pace, which allows you little time to adjust. As Imran Khan famously did before a series against the West Indies in 1987-88, batsmen have practiced on shorter surfaces, to counter an altogether different threat.

"We are practicing a lot for Mendis," said Misbah. "We're playing bowlers from shorter distances so we can counter the fast pace. There is no reason why we cannot handle him because all Pakistan players are good against spin."

Intent is one thing, execution another altogether and as his captain Mahela Jayawardene pointed out, Mendis is a man who doesn't fret about pressure. "He hasn't had added pressure and has gone through all the batting line-ups he has come across. He is enjoying his challenges and pressure does not affect him as he is a very simple guy. He doesn't have to go through such interviews because his knowledge of English is not that great so he rests in his room watching movies."

Having one of the game's greatest spinners at the other end is no bad thing either. "He knows what his role is and there are some really good guys around him giving him advice especially Murali who is a brilliant role model. He has worked very hard for 18 years, gone through so many issues and come through very well. As long as Ajantha realises that and goes along the same path as Murali, I'm sure we'll have a big match-winner for us in the next ten years."

© Cricinfo

Pakistan prepare for Mendis

Sri Lanka in Pakistan, 2008-09

Osman Samiuddin

January 17, 2009

	The mystery man is ready to add another country to his list of befuddled opposition © AFP

Already the name is on everyone's lips and in everyone's minds. It is inevitable as the freak-bowler show that is Ajantha Mendis tours countries of the cricket world. Already he is a dream for headline writers and reporters; Mission Mendis, Solving the Mendis Mystery; how do you tackle him? how good is he? Do you read him from the hand or off the pitch? How many videos of him have you seen?

Ninety percent of the questions Pakistan's coach Intikhab Alam was asked were on Mendis, as a short preparation camp got underway at Karachi's National Stadium a day before Sri Lanka's arrival for a three-match ODI series. The other pretty handy spinner they have, a bloke by the name of Murali, didn't even get a look in.

Such has been Mendis's impact that he has to loom large over every encounter. Pakistan, said Intikhab time and again, have analysed him; they have a strategy, but that was between him and the team.

"We have plans for each individual, for each player. We have collected information and all of them and have a plan in place. But that is not for public consumption," said Intikhab, a mischievous grin in tow.

"I can't tell you the details but we are looking at everything. If Mendis was hit around by a player we check who the batsman was and how he went about it. He is a very natural talent and not conventional at all. He has the offie, a leggie, a flipper. Some say play him from the hand, some say off the pitch. But the thing is he's quick, so whatever we do, we have to decide properly. We will definately be positive and attack him."

Pakistan themselves will fall back on their traditional strength, of pace. Word was last week that pitches would be made quick and bouncy, to aid one of six fast men picked in their squad for the first of three ODIs at Karachi. Neither here nor there is the fact that such pitches are seen around these parts as often as Halley's comet and that one of the groundsmen said the nature of the surface had not yet been inked in. In any case, Intikhab was in coy form, unwilling to - despite the sextet of fast men - reveal fully what Pakistan's plans were.

"It is quite possible [that we will be relying on pace]. Sometimes what you show is an illusion of what will actually happen," Intikhab said, a verbal wink. "In Karachi, with the 12pm start, the early moisture will not be so much of a factor anyway." Only one specialist spinner in the squad - Saeed Ajmal - suggests what Sri Lanka see is what Sri Lanka will get, no matter the coach's red herrings.

Of the six, Shoaib Akhtar's form and fitness, as always, came in for questioning. For the record, he looked fit, he has been bowling in the Quaid-e-Azam trophy four-day games and had a bowl at practice too. There are, Intikhab reminded everyone, other pacers out there as well. "Shoaib is fit and he has been playing domestic cricket as well. But you also have to look at the guys who did well in the Abu Dhabi series against West Indies. We believe in results - players who do well will always be in the team."

Mendis aside, Pakistan will be pleased with the trouble with which Sri Lanka eventually claimed the tri-nation series in Bangladesh, one they were expected to walk away with comfortably. "We have watched Sri Lanka in Bangladesh closely and there were grey areas there that we observed," Intikhab said. "They are one of the best sides in the world but if we play like we did in Abu Dhabi, I believe we have a good chance of winning the series."

Osman Samiuddin is Pakistan editor of Cricinfo

© Cricinfo

The joy of the unknown

ODI Bowling

Sidharth Monga

January 16, 2009

Best ODI Bowling Performance

Ajantha Mendis
6 for 13 v India
Asia Cup final, Karachi

	Shock to the system: Mendis hit India like a ton of bricks © AFP

A day before the final of the Asia Cup, Kumar Sangakkara spent all his time in the nets batting against Ajantha Mendis. He, and Sri Lanka, knew something the rest of the world had only a vague idea of.

Earlier in the tournament Sri Lanka had rested Mendis for the league match against India, giving him the big stage to announce himself. It was the most delicious build-up. They could have knocked India out of the tournament, but they chose, instead, to hide Mendis till the final.

Now was the time Mendis had to prove he was worth hiding. On a pitch where 300 had been the par score, sometimes chased with ease, Sri Lanka had managed 275, and were facing a marauding Virender Sehwag. Here Mendis was, playing in only his eighth ODI, bowling the 10th over, ahead of Muttiah Muralitharan, trying to halt the runaway train that was Sehwag, a big final and a pre-conceived reputation on the line.

Now there must be something about the upbringing of Sehwag, but he can't bring himself to respect spinners. The first ball from Mendis, Sehwag looked to charge out but had to change to a defensive lunge when Mendis bowled flatter. The second ball, Sehwag did manage to charge out, and was beaten by the fast legbreak that the world would come to know as the carrom ball. Mendis had arrived. Two balls later, Yuvraj Singh played all over a straight delivery, finding his off stump pegged back. In one over the impact had been made.

Mendis had created chaos. No one knew quite what to expect - not the Indian batsmen, not the commentators, not the experts in the studios, not even the umpires (quite a few lbws were not given in the succeeding overs because this kind of stuff had not been seen before and took time and visual evidence to become believable). Amid the mayhem, Mahela Jayawardene seemed almost as kicked as Mendis when the wickets fell, getting into ecstatic little jigs he, Captain Cool, is not known for.

Suresh Raina was the next to go, in Mendis' third over. On the surface it was a horrible pull shot, but Mendis had given away so little until then that the runs had stopped coming at all - even a slightly shorter delivery was a bonus and had to be put away to put Mendis off. This one sped off at pitching, and beat a hapless Raina.

Rohit Sharma was made to look the silliest - in Mendis' next over. Rohit played Mendis like an offspinner, and looked to nudge one off the pads. The carrom ball broke away and hit the back pad; Rohit looked leg side, and walked pavilion-wards. In a jiffy 76 for 1 had become 97 for 5, and with Murali yet to come Sri Lanka had all but won.

Perhaps Jayawardene got greedy and, wanting to keep the mystery intact for future games, took Mendis off once the big impact was made. MS Dhoni then played a responsible knock, knitting a partnership together with Robin Uthappa and then with Irfan Pathan.

Then Mendis came back for the grand sign-off. In the second over of his second spell, he fooled Irfan with a googly, and then ripped through RP Singh's defence with a carrom ball next ball. The hat-trick ball was the straighter one. Pragyan Ojha played outside the line, and a big lbw shout ensued, but Simon Taufel chose to be circumspect. Wonder if the umpires will change their outlook now that they know what Mendis is capable of.

"It was like you were playing something else, and the ball was something else. I won't really blame the batsman, we couldn't pick the deliveries," Dhoni, who scored a fighting 49, said later.

Sidharth Monga is a staff writer at Cricinfo

© Cricinfo

Jayasuriya & Mendis Take ODI Prizes in Cricinfo Awards

Cricinfo staff

January 16, 2009

	Dale Steyn was the winner of the Test Bowling Performance award by a large margin © Getty Images

Virender Sehwag's match-winning 201 not out against Sri Lanka, and Dale Steyn's 5 for 67 at the MCG, which helped South Africa win a series in Australia for the first time, have been voted the best Test performances of 2008 by the Cricinfo jury. Sehwag's double-hundred won the prize for the Test Batting Performance of the year by a whisker from Graeme Smith's series-winning 154 not out against England at Edgbaston.

The winning ODI performances both came from the same match, the Asia Cup final between Sri Lanka and India: Sanath Jayasuriya's 125 off 114 balls and Ajantha Mendis' 6 for 13.

"It was a breathtaking double-century and it came against a remarkable spin attack," Tony Greig, one of the members of the jury that voted on the awards, said of Sehwag's innings. "Sehwag is, and will be for a while, the most dangerous batsman in world cricket."

The rest of the jury comprised Ian Chappell, Sanjay Manjrekar, David Lloyd, Ramiz Raja, Daryll Cullinan, and five of Cricinfo's senior editors.

The lists of nominees, announced in the first week of this year, were compiled by Cricinfo's global staff. The winners were selected on the basis of a ranking of the performances by the jury, with the players who fetched the most points winning the respective awards. Smith's Edgbaston effort, a favourite, lost out by a single point.

Mendis has been hailed as one of the most exciting new talents in the game, and his win underlines his growing reputation. "Players like him are difficult to find. He is great for the game and we all want his magic to last," Raja said.

Sachin Tendulkar missed out on the jury awards, but he was clearly the favourite with Cricinfo's readers, winning in the Test and ODI batting categories in the Readers' Choice segment of the awards. Tendulkar's match-winning 103 not out in Chennai against England was voted the best Test innings, while his unbeaten 117 against Australia in the first final of the CB Series won the ODI title. The readers agreed with the jury in the bowling awards, though, with Steyn and Mendis taking the prize for Tests and ODIs.

Sehwag also won a number of titles in the Statsguru Awards, which are based on detailed data analyses of the year's performances. In both Tests and ODIs he was the batsman with the highest strike-rate in the year, and the one with the highest boundary percentage. Shivnarine Chanderpaul was the other big winner in the Statsguru Awards, taking the titles for Batsman of the Year, Most Consistent Batsman in Tests, and the one for highest percentage of team runs scored by a single batsman in Tests.

This is the second edition of the Cricinfo Awards. Last year's winners were Kumar Sangakkara and Zaheer Khan in Tests and Adam Gilchrist and Lasith Malinga in ODIs.

© Cricinfo

Murali cameo clinches humdinger - Mendis took 3/24

Bangladesh v Sri Lanka, Tri-series final, Mirpur

Cricinfo staff

January 16, 2009

Sri Lanka 153 for 8 (Sangakkara 59, Maharoof 38, Murali 33*, Nazmul 3-30) beat Bangladesh 152 (Raqibul 43*, Mendis 3-24, Kulasekara 3-19) by two wickets
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out

	Nuwan Kulasekara took three early wickets to jolt Bangladesh © AFP

Predictions of the death of the one-dayer seemed premature when Muttiah Muralitharan's late cameo clinched the trophy for Sri Lanka after a pulsating low-scoring match in front of an enthralled crowd in Mirpur. Bangladesh were in control of the game when Shakib Al Hasan's double-wicket maiden left Sri Lanka needing 39 off 36 balls with two wickets in hand. Murali, however, blasted a 16-ball 33, including 32 off two Rubel Hossain overs to break Bangladeshi hearts.

Two days after what Mohammad Ashraful called Bangladesh's "best victory", medium-pacer Nazmul Hossain's opening burst had set the home team on their way to an even bigger win, which would have been their first tri-nation title. He reduced Sri Lanka to 6 for 5, the lowest score for which a side has lost five wickets in a ODI, before Kumar Sangakkara's battling half-century tilted the game. Shakib's strikes then provided another twist but Murali's hitting cemented the victory.

Sri Lanka were looking forward to a straightforward victory after Nuwan Kulasekara and the spinners shot Bangladesh out for 152. The first inkling that things may not go to plan was when the big-hitting Sanath Jayasuriya was run out off the very first ball. Nazmul, recalled in place of Mahbubul Alam, then struck twice in three balls before bowling spearhead Mashrafe Mortaza removed Chamara Kapugedera five deliveries later. The crowd went berserk when Thilan Thushara chopped a Nazmul delivery on to his stumps soon after. Sri Lanka had six runs on board and their last specialist batting pair was at the crease. Nazmul's figures read 4-3-1-3.

Sangakkara and Jehan Mubarak started a slow recovery. Mubarak hit Nazmul for a couple of fierce boundaries and Sangakkara had a brace of well-timed fours off Rubel, but otherwise they found runs extremely hard to come by. They had stitched together 42 at about three an over when Mubarak was run out attempting a suicidal single.

Sangakkara, though, showed exemplary patience, going on to make his slowest half-century and did not panic despite the huge task ahead of him. He found an able ally in the recalled Farveez Maharoof, who played a knock which was a curious mixture of caution and aggression - when Maharoof was on 17 off 34 balls, he had two sixes and 17 dot balls. They had taken the score to 114 for 6, and Sangakkara was looking ominously solid when Shakib struck. The crowd found its voice again.

They were soon silenced when Sri Lanka's gamble of delaying the batting Powerplay for the last five overs then paid off spectacularly. Murali picked the perfect time to make his highest ODI score, and took apart Rubel, playing only his second ODI. Three fours and a six in the 46th over gave Sri Lanka the edge, and Ashraful's decision to persist with Rubel backfired as Murali clouted another four and a six to level the scores with two overs to spare.

There was little to indicate the excitement that lay ahead when Bangladesh's batsmen stonewalled their way to a paltry total. Fog had curtailed the final league game of the series to a 31-over-a-game affair, and has blighted much of Sri Lanka's tour, but it mercifully allowed an on-time start today.

An all-too-familiar top-order collapse was induced on a picth with a tinge of green by medium-pacer Kulasekara, who got the ball to move in both directions. The conditions were helpful initially but Sri Lanka's task was made easier by Bangladesh's batsmen. Tamim Iqbal ill-advised across-the-line swipe resulted in an edge to the keeper, and Shakib loose waft gave Sangakkara his fourth catch of the innings.

Bangladesh were 54 for 5 in the 19th over, with their key batsmen all dismissed, and in danger of being bowled out well within their quota of overs. Raqibul and Mahmudullah, however, engineered a revival with a measured partnership. Both were keen to get on the front foot and smother the spin but there was little inclination to step on the accelerator. Their partnership raised 44 in nearly 14 overs and after Mahmudullah was bowled by Murali, Raqibul and Naeem Islam continued in the same vein.

At 149 for 6 and with three overs to go, Bangladesh were at least primed for a final onslaught with two set batsmen. However Mendis picked up three wickets as the last four went down for one run. An indication of Bangladesh's lack of intent was that there were only three fours in the final 25 overs.

Their bowlers nearly made up for the batsmen's shortcomings, but 152 proved to be too modest a target to defend.

© Cricinfo

Mendis beacame the fastest to 50 ODI Wickets

Sri Lanka v Zimbabwe, Tri-Series, 2nd match, Mirpur

Cricinfo staff

January 12, 2009

Sri Lanka 210 for 6 (Mathews 52*, Tharanga 42, Rainsford 3-41) beat Zimbabwe 80 (Kulasekara 3-13, Mendis 3-15 ) by 130 runs
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out

	Ajantha Mendis became the fastest to 50 ODI wickets when he had Ray Price stumped for 2 © AFP

Nuwan Kulasekara and Ajantha Mendis executed the perfect demolition job to not only complete the win against Zimbabwe in the second match of the Tri-Nation Tournament in Bangladesh, but also ensure a bonus point. In the process, Mendis became the fastest to 50 ODI wickets when he had Ray Price stumped by Kumar Sangakkara, as Zimbabwe surrendered tamely during their chase.

Kulasekara was on fire right from the start as Sri Lanka looked to defend the 210 they put up earlier in the day on a difficult pitch. The Zimbabwe openers lasted just six overs - Kulasekara castling Vusi Sibanda for 6 and then trapping Hamilton Masakadza leg before in the next over.

Tatenda Taibu may have been dropped by captain Mahela Jayawardene off Thilan Thushara, but his luck lasted only a little while more as he played on to a Kulasekara in-cutter the next over. Thushara was rewarded though, sneaking through Sean Williams' defences as Zimbabwe were left reeling at 47 for 4 in the 17th over.

Jayawardene then unleashed spin at one end and Mendis, predictably, struck in his first over bowling Stuart Matsikenyeri. Matsikenyeri's 15 was to be the highest score in a dismal-looking scorecard, as captain Prosper Utseya and Keith Dabengwa exited in a hurry as well.

Price was completely outfoxed by Mendis when he charged out, as the bowler, in his 19th match, broke Ajit Agarkara's record of 50 ODI wickets in 23 games.

A fine display from Ed Rainsford and a disciplined performance from the spinners earlier in the day had helped Zimbabwe restrict Sri Lanka to 210. Rainsford struck thrice to cripple Sri Lanka's top order, while Utseya and Ray Price tightened the noose by checking the run-flow in the middle overs.

After being put in by Zimbabwe under hazy conditions, the Sri Lankan openers made a solid start. Sanath Jayasuriya signalled his intent with two fours off Rainsford in the first over.

The run-rate never dipped below five as the partnership neared fifty, but having lifted Elton Chigumbura for a six over long-on the previous ball, Jayasuriya fell chasing a wide delivery, caught by Masakadza at first slip.

Zimbabwe took their second Powerplay as Rainsford came back for a second spell and struck immediately, trapping Sangakkara leg before. Jayawardene's miserable run against Zimbabwe continued as he was dismissed in Rainsford's next over, caught behind for a duck by Taibu off a thickish outside edge. Rainsford continued strongly, and when Chamara Kapugedera was caught plumb in front, Sri Lanka had slipped to 89 for 4.

Tharanga moved steadily towards his half-century, but another bowling change in the 21st over, with Utseya bringing himself on, did the trick, as he trapped Tharanga lbw for 42.

Price was then brought on as Zimbabwe switched to spin at both ends, looking to make further inroads. However, Jehan Mubarak and Mathews battled bravely to get Sri Lanka back in the game. They were slow, aiming primarily to consolidate. Their fifty stand took 14 overs but was brought up in emphatic fashion, Mathews hitting Tawanda Mupariwa for a six straight down the ground.

But having taken the third Powerplay in the 42nd over, Mubarak took his chances against Price and ended up holing out to Williams at mid-on, bringing an end to the sixth-wicket partnership of 69. Thushara hit two sixes in a Dabengwa over but Sri Lanka could manage just 22 runs in the Powerplay. Mathews brought up his fifty in the 49th over, and his workmanlike innings ensured Sri Lanka at least had a reasonable total to defend.

Zimbabwe can still make the finals, unless Bangladesh manage a major upset against Sri Lanka in the final match of the tri-series on Wednesday.

© Cricinfo

And then there was Mendis

Sa'adi Thawfeeq

January 3, 2009

A new dawn: Mendis has already almost taken over the mantle of main match-winner for Sri Lanka © AFP

Two thousand eight, according to Chinese astrology, was the Year of the Rat. For Sri Lanka cricket, it was the year of Ajantha Mendis.

The 23-year-old burst into the limelight in the Caribbean in April, bemusing the best of West Indies batsmen, who were at sea against the five varieties of spin he bowled. When Sri Lanka captain Mahela Jayawardene threw the ball to Mendis in the first one-day international, in Port-of-Spain, little did anyone realise that it would herald a new genre of spin.

Shane Warne and Muttiah Muralitharan came into the limelight at a time when the art of spin bowling was dying. In the next 15 years or so they raised it to a level it had never attained before. But nothing lasts forever. Warne left the game in 2007 and Muralitharan is nearing the end of the road. The old fears were back that spin would become a dying art. Then came Mendis.

Dwayne Bravo, the West Indies allrounder, recalled his first sighting: "[Ramnaresh] Sarwan had problems picking him, and from the time we saw this, most of the batsmen retreated to the dressing room and had a close look at his hand on the TV monitor." However, the best quote came from Rob Steen, on Cricinfo: "I have just seen the future of spin bowling - and his name is Ajantha Mendis."

Mendis really came into the limelight in his second ODI series, the Asia Cup in Pakistan, where he spun his team to a remarkable 100-run victory over favourites India in the final in Lahore.

He continued to torment the Indian batting when they toured Sri Lanka for a three-Test series and lost it 2-1. The difference was Mendis, who broke a 62-year-old record, held by England fast bowler Alec Bedser, by taking the most wickets in a debut series - 26. The strong Indian batting line-up of Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly, and VVS Laxman was left so bemused by the mystics of Mendis' spin that they managed only three fifties between them.

With Mendis catching so much world attention it was no surprise when he won the ICC's Emerging Player of the Year award.

In a rather restricted Test calendar year, where Sri Lanka played fewer Test matches (six) than even Bangladesh (nine), the most memorable were their first Test victory in the Caribbean, by 121 runs in Guyana, and the home series win over India. The hero of the Guyana victory was Chaminda Vaas, who once again showed that he still had enough steam left, even at the age of 34, to spearhead his team to victory: he had a match haul of eight wickets to go with his unbeaten half-century. A fortnight later Vaas was cast in the villain's role when he conceded a four and then a six off the last two deliveries of the match to Shiv Chanderpaul as West Indies pulled off a stunning victory over Sri Lanka in the first ODI.

While Sri Lanka continued to impress in the longer game, their unpredictable batting was a cause for concern in the limited-overs matches, where they continued to lose bilateral contests but managed to come out on top in tournaments - the most remarkable of those was the victory in the Asia Cup. On a more low-key note, they also pocketed the tri-nation T20 Canada, beating Pakistan in the final.

The arrival of the Indian Premier League and the rebel Indian Cricket League benefited Sri Lanka's present and former cricketers with monetary gains of the sort SLC could never dream of matching. Overall, 15 of Sri Lanka's top cricketers were signed in both tournaments.

Sri Lanka's women cricketers once again had to be satisfied with the runner-up title when they lost the Asia Cup final, held in Sri Lanka, to India. Pakistan and Bangladesh were the other participating countries. The Sri Lankan women, however, gained some consolation later in the year when they defeated West Indies 3-2 in a thrilling five-match one-day series at home. Opening bat Dedunu Silva and the captain, Shashikala Siriwardena, entered the top 20 of the ICC ODI women's batting rankings for the first time.

First blood: Sri Lanka celebrate their maiden Test win in the West Indies © AFP

On the domestic front Sri Lanka's cricket continued to falter under an interim administration. When former captain and present politician Arjuna Ranatunga was appointed chairman, replacing businessman Jayantha Dharmadasa, by the country's president, there was plenty of hope that with his vast cricketing experience Ranatunga would put Sri Lankan cricket, which has been plagued in the past by alleged misappropriation of funds, on the right track. But Ranatunga fell out with the national team over the IPL contracts, and then made unwarranted remarks against the Indian board, which soured the good long-standing relationship the two countries had enjoyed over the years. He had constant clashes with the sports minister, whom he accused of not allowing him to do a proper job. By the end of the year everything pointed to a change in administration, with either a new interim committee being appointed or elections being held.

New kid on the block
Ajantha Mendis, who promises to become Sri Lankan cricket's new chief match-winner, succeeding Muttiah Muralitharan, who has held the mantle for many years.

Fading star
Workhorse Chaminda Vaas began the year on a high, bowling his country to their first Test victory in the Caribbean, but has struggled since to keep his place against a whole crop of youngsters breathing down his neck.

High point
Following a poor one-day series in Australia, and a 2-0 loss to West Indies in the Caribbean, Sri Lanka were under pressure to perform in the Asia Cup. They did it in magnificent style, beating India in the final.

Low point
Losing the first ODI to West Indies to a last-ball six when victory was well within grasp.

What 2009 holds
An unscheduled tour to Pakistan for three Tests will boost Sri Lanka's output for the year to 10 Test matches - possibly 13 if they tour India later in the year. The year begins with the second Test against Bangladesh, followed by Pakistan, whom they will play away and at home in six Tests. They also host New Zealand for a three-Test series.

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Dilshan's all-round display seals series for Sri Lanka - Ajantha took 3/57

The Bulletin by Kanishkaa Balachandran

January 6, 2009

Sri Lanka 384 (Dilshan 162, Kapugedera 96, Shakib 4-109) & 447 for 6 dec (Dilshan 143, Samaraweera 77, Kapugedera 59*, Sangakkara 54) beat Bangladesh 208 (Mashrafe 63, Mendis 4-71, Muralitharan 3-62) and 158 (Shakib 46, Mushfiqur 43, Dilshan 4-10, Mendis 3-57) by 465 runs
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out

	Tillakaratne Dilshan, who made centuries in each innings and took 4 for 10, was both Man of the Match and the series © AFP

This was a match Tillakaratne Dilshan made his own. He set up Sri Lanka with 162 and 143 and completed the job by wiping out the Bangladesh lower-order and finishing with figures of 4 for 10 to wrap up the series 2-0 and script the fifth-biggest margin of victory in Tests in terms of runs. Set an improbable 624 to win in five sessions, Bangladesh wilted first to the spin of Ajantha Mendis before Dilshan struck. It was all over in two sessions.

It could have ended even earlier but Sri Lanka delayed their declaration till lunch, by when their lead stretched to mammoth proportions. The expected tactic in the morning was to allow Dilshan and Thilan Samaraweera to reach their respective hundreds before declaring, though only one of them managed to do so. The declaration came after Chamara Kapugedera reached his second half-century of the match and the lead stretched beyond 600.

Bangladesh were left to chase 521 in Mirpur and made a fist of it thanks to telling contributions by three batsmen. Mushfiqur Rahim, the only common link between that game and this, was left to steer a sinking ship on his own. With the target out of reach, the best Bangladesh could have done was to save the game but Mushfiqur, in the end, was had too much to do.

A strong and steady start was required from the openers but the only promising element was a textbook cover drive by Tamim Iqbal off Dilhara Fernando in the second over. The excitement was short-lived when both openers perished with just 22 on board. Mahela Jayawardene went in for the kill by introducing Mendis in the eighth over and he struck immediately, getting Imrul Kayes to edge to first slip. Tamim fell in identical fashion to his first-innings dismissal, edging Chaminda Vaas to the wicketkeeper and it was the curtain raiser to an all too familiar story.

The incoming batsmen weren't allowed to settle in as Mahela crowded fielders around them, something his counterpart Mohammad Ashraful failed to pick up on yesterday. Slips were employed for the spinners but the placement was different for Dilhara Fernando. Due to the slow nature of the surface, the possibility of slip catches were unlikely, so Mahela stationed them in close catching positions on the on side at silly mid-on, short square-leg and short midwicket. Though the fielders didn't necessarily come in to play, one could sense that Mahela was trying to make things happen and that may have psychologically played a part in Bangladesh caving in.

Junaid Siddique was trapped in front off Mendis and Ashraful, trying to cut loose, failed to pick the googly off the same bowler. Raqibul Hasan was then squared up by a deadly reverse swinging yorker from Fernando. At that stage Bangladesh had lost half their side for 52 and the prospect of wrapping up the game by the afternoon was inevitable.

The decibel levels went up when Mushfiqur and Shakib Al Hasan came together and added 92 for the sixth wicket. Shakib had a packed off side field that he pierced with firm punches off the backfoot off Fernando. In such an insoluble situation, attack seemed the best form of defence. He picked on their best bowler, Mendis, by regularly making room, targeting him on the off side and straight down the ground. Mushfiqur was solid in defence off a very off-colour Muttiah Muralitharan, who didn't quite possess the sting and bite of his partner Mendis.

Mushfiqur tucked away deliveries with the turn and pushed the singles while his partner took the aggressive route. Dilshan was introduced just before the final drinks break and drew Shakib forward with the flight, only to have him stumped off Prasanna Jayawardene, whose glovework has improved this series. Dilshan fired his offbreaks from round the wicket and sliced through the tail with the same exuberance he displayed with the bat. The adjudicators for the Man of the Match and series couldn't have had it easier.

He missed the chance to score two scores of 150 plus in a Test when he was squared up by a brute of a delivery from Enamul Haque Jnr which spun from the rough outside the legstump, skidded and clipped the offstump before he could even react. When he slashed Shahadat Hossain past backward point, he joined Duleep Mendis, Aravinda de Silva, Asanka Gurusingha in the list of Sri Lanka batsmen who have scored centuries in both innings of a Test.

His overnight partner Samaraweera wasn't so fortunate to record a century as he was trapped on the backfoot by a vicious delivery by Shakib which turned square. Kapugedera charged the spinners, threw them off balance with reverse sweeps and paddles and marched on to record a half-century. A declaration was expected after he got to his fifty but curiously, there were no signs of it before lunch. The field was spread out and the whole situation seemed very farcical as the batsmen blocked their way till the interval. It seemed as if Bangladesh's brave attempt at 521 in Mirpur had prompted Mahela to delay the declaration and an amused Ashraful was seen chuckling. By the afternoon though, he wasn't smiling any more.

Kanishkaa Balachandran is a sub-editor at Cricinfo

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Mendis leaves Bangladesh in disarray

Cricinfo staff

January 4, 2009

Sri Lanka 384 (Dilshan 162, Kapugedera 96, Warnapura 63, Shakib 4-109) and 13 for 0 lead Bangladesh 208 (Mortaza 63, Mendis 4-71) by 189 runs
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out

Mashrafe Mortaza guided Bangladesh away from an embarrassing follow-on on the second day of the second Test against Sri Lanka in Chittagong. His crucial 63, which came off 89 balls and included eight boundaries and two sixes, came at a time when he was joined by last man Shahdat Hossain, still needing 49 runs to avoid the follow-on.

While Mashrafe undertook the bulk of the scoring , a resolute Shahdat helped Bangladesh save face as they not only went past the follow-on but helped reduce the deficit to 176 runs, which looked improbable earlier.

The difficult situation had been created by the lack of application from the batsmen who threw away their wickets in a hurry. And with Chaminda Vaas, along the spin duo of Ajantha Mendis and Muttiah Muralitharan, on song, matters kept getting worse.

Chaminda Vaas had done the damage early on removing both openers - Tamim Iqbal and Imrul Kayes - as the hosts got off on the wrong foot. Mendis, who had missed the first Test, made an impressive return to end as the most successful bowler with 4 for 71, as Muralitharan ended with 3 for 62.

Sri Lanka's opening pair of Malinda Warnapura and Prasanna Jayawardene then safely negotiated the five overs to take the score to 13 for no loss at stumps.

	Mehrab Hossain jnr was one of Ajantha Mendis' victims © AFP

Ajantha Mendis found Test cricket easy in his first series against India last year, bamboozling their high-quality middle-order, and he was on song in Chittagong against the less formidable Bangladesh. Showing no signs of the ankle injury which kept him out of the first Test, he picked three wickets, including that of Shakib Al Hasan for a golden duck, to leave Bangladesh staring at a huge first-innings deficit at tea.

Chaminda Vaas provide the early breakthroughs with the new ball, running in hard and getting movement off the pitch to trouble the openers. Tamim Iqbal fell in the first over, nicking a Vaas delivery that jagged away. The other opener, Imrul Kayes, survived a while longer but was done in by a Vaas indipper in the ninth over.

Mendis was brought into the attack as early as the tenth over, and though he wasn't getting too much turn it took him only a couple of overs to strike - Raqibul Hasan was trapped by a well-flighted, straight delivery.

Mohammad Ashraful and Junaid Siddique put up some resistance, using contrasting methods to blunt Mendis. Ashraful chose to play late after gauging the turn while Junaid regularly lunged forward to smother the spin. The partnership was broken when Junaid failed to pick a yorker from Dilhara Fernando, making a return to the Test side after more than a year on the sidlelines.

Mendis then had Mehrab Hossain jnr and Shakib lbw off successive balls and Bangladesh were tottering at 90 for 6, with their last recognised batting pair of Ashraful and Mushfiqur Rahim at the crease. Ashraful was patient against Mendis but had several moments of indiscretion against Muttiah Muralitharan. Three botched reverse-sweeps didn't deter him from attempting the shot again when on 45, and it only resulted in a simple catch for Prasanna Jayawardene.

Mushfiqur remained unbeaten on 16 but the Bangladesh batsmen had undone the good work of the bowlers earlier in the day. Shakib had helped Bangladesh make a promising start, taking three wickets in two overs to nip out the Sri Lankan tail early.

Chamara Kapugedera resumed on 93 but didn't reach his maiden Test century, falling lbw to Shakib on 96 in the day's first over. Mashrafe Mortaza also chipped in with the wicket of Chaminda Vaas and Sri Lanka folded for 384, with Shakib returning figures of 4 for 109.

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