Malinga to miss second Test against India - Mendis in

Sa'adi Thawfeeq

July 24, 2010

Lasith Malinga isn't fit enough to torment India once again in the second Test © AFP

Lasith Malinga, the Sri Lankan fast bowler, has been rested from the second Test against India beginning in Colombo on July 26. Malinga was one of the architects of Sri Lanka's ten-wicket win in Galle but will miss out at the SSC because of "stiffness in his knee". He will be replaced by Dilhara Fernando, while spinner Ajantha Mendis also returned to the squad.

Aravinda de Silva, the chairman of selectors, said Malinga was rested on the advice of team physiotherapist Tommy Simsek after the bowler complained of stiffness in his dodgy right knee, which had kept him out of Test cricket for 30 months.

"We have to be cautious with Malinga. He was not feeling quite fit to go through a five-day Test. He complained of stiffness in his knee," de Silva said. "We are closely monitoring Malinga's fitness and we are hopeful he will be fully fit for the third Test starting in ten days time." The third Test starts on August 3 at the P Sara Oval.

Malinga had made his comeback to Test cricket in Galle after a long absence and played a critical role in Sri Lanka's victory by taking 5 for 50 in the second innings. He bowled a total of 30 overs in the match for seven wickets.

The setback to Malinga is a severe blow for Sri Lanka especially since the SSC Test will be their first after Muttiah Muralitharan retired from the format. Malinga and Muralitharan had combined to take 15 of India's 20 wickets in Galle.

Mendis, who had taken 6 for 67 in a practice game against the Indians but was overlooked for the first Test, is likely to take Muralitharan's place. The other contender for the spot, offspinner Suraj Randiv, retained his place in the squad.

Following Muralitharan's retirement, former captain Mahela Jayawardene was named vice-captain to Kumar Sangakkara. "We want Mahela, who has a good cricket brain, to be part of the decision-making process in the middle," de Silva said.

Squad: Kumar Sangakkara (capt), Tillakaratne Dilshan, Tharanga Paranavitana, Mahela Jayawardene, Thilan Samaraweera, Angelo Mathews, Prasanna Jayawardene, Ajantha Mendis, Dilhara Fernando, Chanaka Welagedara, Suraj Randiv, Rangana Herath, Thilina Kandamby, Dammika Prasad, Lahiru Thirimanne, Nuwan Pradeep.

Much depends on the third M

Sri Lanka v India, 2nd Test, Colombo

Sidharth Monga in Colombo

July 24, 2010

In the absence of Murali and Malinga, Ajantha Mendis becomes Sri Lanka's biggest threat © AFP

M&M has been the theme of India's last two tours of Sri Lanka. In 2008 it was Murali and Mendis, in 2010's first Test India were demolished by Murali and Malinga. By the second Test of the series, one of the Ms has retired, the other has broken down.

Thankfully for Sri Lanka, it doesn't seem to be a serious injury. Not enough, it seems, to make the fast bowler wonder whether coming back to Test cricket was the right move. "It is just some stiffness in the knee," Champaka Ramanayake, the bowling coach, said, "Nothing to do with the old injury. If all goes right he should be back by the third Test."

The selectors have a tough choice to make with Malinga. "After what he has gone through - people thought that he might not be able to play cricket again, some even thought he might not be able to walk - when you come out of that state, you have to respect what his body is saying," said Ranjit Fernando, one of the national selectors. "And that's what we are doing because we can't take one day at a time. We have to look at the World Cup. He is going to play a very important role during the World Cup.

"So that's where it stands right now. If he says that he is ready by the time the third Test comes and also if the physio certifies it, he may feature in the third Test. We have no clue as to how a body is behaving, so we have to look up to people who know it the best."

Until he does come back, the third M, Ajantha Mendis, who himself is making a comeback after a rather indifferent second year in Test cricket, has a big job to do. If his debut was hugely anticipated, this comeback will also be keenly watched. Not the least because he will be the only man in the attack with an average under 30. Or because he has been treated rather shabbily by the Indian and Pakistani batsmen after that magical debut series.

Saman Hervavitharana, Mendis' first coach, at Army Sports Club, believes technical flaws had crept into Mendis' bowling over the last two years. He had started rushing through his run-up, and more importantly he had stopped getting close enough to the stumps while delivering. That, Hervavitharana says, took away his accuracy and made the variations less effective.

On his comeback trail, a few days after being left out of the squad for the first Test, Mendis did make an emphatic statement. He took 6 for 67 in the tour game against the Indians, including the wickets of Sachin Tendulkar, VVS Laxman and Gautam Gambhir. He was lucky to get Tendulkar out lbw, but he had also managed to beat him with a carrom ball. He troubled Laxman for a longer period before getting his wicket.

Hervavitharana didn't see the tour game, but believes Mendis is bowling better. "A bit better, but not at his best." He hasn't worked with Mendis, who is with the national team, much of late, though Mendis called him today before going for his first net session back with the national team.

Mendis will know that with all the technical analysis of his bowling, given the flat pitch at the SSC and the inexperience of the whole attack, "a bit better" might not be enough.

Sidharth Monga is a staff writer at Cricinfo

Ajantha Mendis continues hosts' domination

The Bulletin by Sidharth Monga in Colombo

July 14, 2010

Sri Lanka Board President's XI 514 for 9 decl (Tharanga 110, Kandamby 101, Samaraweera 101, Thirimanne 66) lead Indians 291 (Yuvraj 118, Gambhir 89, Mendis 6-67) by 223 runs
Scorecard

Ajantha Mendis did his Test prospects no harm with a six-for © AFP

Yuvraj Singh made optimum use of the tour game to ensure his place at No. 6 in the Test line-up, scoring an entertaining and assured century, but could not save the Indians the embarrassment of not making the follow-on mark against the Board Presidents' XI. Ajantha Mendis gave the selectors enough reasons to pick him for the second Test, taking the wickets of Sachin Tendulkar, VVS Laxman and Gautam Gambhir among his six.

That the Indians could last only 64.2 overs will add more concern on a tour that has brought them much bad news. Two of their first-choice bowlers have gone back to India, one is down with fever, the rest of the bowlers struggled, and when their turn came to bat they could last just two sessions.

Twin strikes from Chanaka Welegedara and Mendis had left the Indians at a precarious 80 for 4, but Yuvraj took the initiative in attacking Mendis and added 143 with Gautam Gambhir. Gambhir got three lives, played well otherwise, but missed out on a century. Another collapse ensued, and Yuvraj fought cramps, shielded Ishant Sharma, but could not see the Indians through to the follow-on mark.

After Pragyan Ojha took two tail-end wickets to complete a potentially Test-spot-sealing five-for, Thilan Samaraweera declared the innings to give the Indians six overs to bat before lunch. Virender Sehwag and Gambhir entertained in that short spell. Sehwag hit the first ball of spin he faced for six over extra cover, in the last over before the break, from offspinner Sachitra Senanayake, bowling ahead of Mendis.

The first ball after the break, though, Sehwag played on from Welegedara, and in the same over Mendis misjudged a leading edge from Gambhir, who was 17 then. Rahul Dravid soon edged one to slip. Sachin Tendulkar beautifully punched the first ball he faced for four, but fell lbw in Mendis' first over. The carrom ball, though, seemed to be missing the off stump, and Tendulkar suggested as much as he walked off. VVS Laxman didn't look comfortable against Mendis, and duly edged a quick legbreak. At that point, the follow-on looked not only a possibility but the favoured outcome.

During the collapse, Gambhir faced a testing spell of swing from Welegedara and short-pitched stuff from Dilhara Fernando, who found his edge but saw Dinesh Chandimal drop him in the slips. Soon after Laxman's dismissal, Samaraweera dropped at short extra cover the easiest of chances that Gambhir presented, which would have made the score 80 for 5. Gambhir was 30 then, and in the same over cleared Samaraweera comfortably.

Mendis, bowling in a nice rhythm then, beat Yuvraj with a googly. That was the last instance in a long time that the bowlers would come close to a moral victory against Yuvraj. The most impressive aspect of the innings was how Yuvraj used his feet against the spinners, the breed of bowlers known to trouble him the most in Tests.

The next googly Mendis tried, he read early, stepped out of the crease, and sent out of the stadium. Gambhir followed lead and lofted Mendis over long-off. Soon Mendis was taken off, and it went smoothly for both the batsmen. Yuvraj was particularly harsh, hitting six sixes, over long-on, midwicket and square leg. When the straight field was set back, he used the sweep shot to good effect, finding boundaries. The punches and drives through covers were not to be missed. There was cheekiness involved too, when they ran a single even as Senanayake was appealing for lbw and the ball hadn't even gone a few feet.

When Yuvraj was 62 off 55, Fernando got one to straighten from round the stumps. That was only the second time Yuvraj was beaten. The batsmen went into tea having raised their fifties and having deflated the attack for the time being. After tea, though, Gambhir looked to dominate Mendis some more, and paid the price. He tried to loft the bowler straight went towards long-on, and Upul Tharanga took a good catch running back. Soon MS Dhoni got out softly, guiding an offbreak to leg gully, off the face of the bat.

Mendis then wrapped his grip around the long tail, beating Amit Mishra with a wrong'un. When Ishant Sharma came to bat at No. 9, Yuvraj shielded him from Mendis, hit another huge six, but with cramps hampering his foot movement, he missed an offbreak from Senanayake when looking to slog-sweep.

Mendis got through the next two without trouble, India ended 223 short, and Samaraweera went for pain rather than possible humiliation, choosing to bat again rather than trying to go for a win against the visitors. Even as half of the Indian players, who had been sent for net practice to another ground in the city, hurriedly made their way back, bad light ensured the Board Presidents' XI's innings wouldn't start.

Sidharth Monga is a staff writer at Cricinfo

Mendis responds to Test snub in style

He may have lacked the accuracy shown in the 2008 series, but Ajantha Mendis has made a strong case for an early recall to the Test side

Sidharth Monga in Colombo

July 14, 2010

It won't be surprising if Sri Lanka call Mendis up for one last tango with Muttiah Muralitharan © AFP

Ajantha Mendis will be a factor in this series. It could be the Kookaburra, it could be the pitches, it could be something in the Sri Lankan air, but after his 6 for 67 against India's Test line-up, he just can't be ignored. In fact it won't be surprising if Sri Lanka call him up for one last tango with Muttiah Muralitharan, for old times' sake. Old times, which admittedly lasted only three Tests after which Mendis seemed to be sorted out.

Against his favoured opponents, though, which happens to arguably be the best middle-order of our times, Mendis - out of the squad for the first Test in Galle, Murali's last - did enough to cast doubts in selectors' minds if they were ever thinking about going the whole series without him. The main chunk of work, as it usually is with Mendis, was swift.

Mendis came on to bowl after Chanaka Welegedara had given the Board President's XI two breakthroughs, but he was now bowling to perhaps the two best players of spin in India: Sachin Tendulkar and Gautam Gambhir. The first ball he bowled was clipped away for one by Gambhir. Tendulkar stretched forward and defended the second - play him like a seamer, remember? The third ball was the carrom ball, the pitch offered him turn, and the umpire seemed to have assisted on the lbw even as it seemed to be missing off. But the signs were there, he had at least beaten Tendulkar's bat, and squared him up, something he seemed incapable of doing when he played his solitary Test in India.

He troubled VVS Laxman for a longer period. The turning pitch made the carrom ball effective, Laxman was seen jabbing at legbreaks away from his body, and soon the edge came. Two quick wickets in 16 deliveries, and even though this is a tour match, memories of 2008 came back. There was soon a big shout for caught-behind against Yuvraj Singh, but the umpire said he had merely beaten the batsman. As soon as Gambhir and Yuvraj started to counterattack, Thilan Samaraweera took Mendis off. Two sharp strikes had been made, and it appeared they didn't want to expose too much of Mendis.

"By and large, it's a question of when to use him," said Ranjit Fernando, a national selector, a day before the start of the game. "You don't want to overexpose him. A precious commodity like him has to be handled as best as we can. We may probably not be 100% while handling him, we may make mistakes, but the intention is to use him in an optimum manner."

When Samaraweera was asked whether what they saw in Mendis' six overs was enough to impress them, and they later took him off to not show too much of him to the opposition, he just laughed in a manner not ruling out that that indeed was the thinking.

Fernando also said there was no way Mendis was out of their plans. "He might be devastating on a wicket that has bounce," Fernando said. "That's one of the problems he has had recently. Pitches in Sri Lanka have lacked bounce. Murali, by wearing batsmen down, has picked up wickets. But someone other than him doesn't have the patience. At the same time, it will be foolish to write him off. If you say that people have found a way to play him, he will be the first person to make you look like an idiot."

Later, when Mendis was brought back in the final session, the partnership between Gambhir and Yuvraj was flourishing. The feeling that Mendis needed to be dominated played a role in Gambhir's dismissal, when he mis-hit an attempted straight loft. With the tail - and it was a long one with Harbhajan Singh and Zaheer Khan out - Mendis was swift, taking out Amit Mishra, Ishant Sharma and Pragyan Ojha out cheaply. The wickets might have come easily, but the importance of a man who can run through the tail cannot be overstated.

Still, Mendis didn't bowl as well as figures of 6 for 67 suggest. The accuracy of 2008, the habit of staying at it throughout the spells, isn't quite fully back. There were a fair few long hops bowled, and he was lucky Yuvraj didn't hit most of them because they were bowled out of his reach down the leg side.

This is also just a tour game. The pressures of playing a Test are different, the mindset of the same batsmen will be different. He might not have the luxury of coming in to bowl at 67 for 2, he might not have 500-plus on the board. There are many factors to suggest this performance won't necessarily translate into success in Tests, but surely Mendis has earned the right to have a go at it.

Sidharth Monga is a staff writer at Cricinfo

Bowlers the focus in tour opener

Sidharth Monga in Colombo

July 12, 2010

Ajantha Mendis will have to prove to the selectors that he's the man to fill the void left by Murali © AFP

Colts Cricket Club Ground is an idyllic, old-fashioned cricket ground, surrounded by trees, in Havelock Town in Colombo 5. A late replacement for the Nondescripts Cricket Club, the Colts Ground was slated to host what is usually a quaint tour game to kick off India's tour, but the game has now become almost a Test trial for both sides.

India have run into fitness issues, with Zaheer Khan and Sreesanth injured and Harbhajan Singh down with fever. Sri Lanka have chosen a strong Board President's XI side, with six members from the Test squad looking to impress the team management. Ajantha Mendis, not in the squad for the first Test, has been given an opportunity too.

The Indian XI is now wide open. If Yuvraj Singh, Suresh Raina and M Vijay get picked for the tour game, a really impressive show from any one of them against an attack featuring Dilhara Fernando, Chanaka Welegedara and Mendis could seal him the No. 6 spot for the Galle Test.

More interesting and desperate is the bowling department. With Zaheer and Sreesanth now out, Abhimanyu Mithun will be backing himself for the Test pace attack along with Ishant Sharma. Mithun, though, will look for a solid performance against the likes of Thilan Samaraweera, Upul Tharanga and Lahiru Thirimanne to make sure that Sreesanth's replacement, to be named some time on Monday, doesn't overtake him in the preference for the Test slot.

Amit Mishra and Pragyan Ojha have for long been taking turns to assist Harbhajan in the spin department, but neither of them has impressed the selectors enough to become a definite starter. With Harbhajan still recovering from the fever and yet to attend a training session, both of them are likely to get a chance to stake claims for the Test spot.

Sri Lanka, too, have an uncertain bowling line-up, especially the pace department. While Muttiah Muralitharan is a definite starter, Galle being his last Test, either of Rangana Herath or Suraj Randiv will form the spin duo. Among the fast bowlers, though, any two of Lasith Malinga, Dammika Prasad, Fernando and Welegedara can be picked in the XI.

Two of them, Fernando and Welegedara, will get a chance in Colombo to send notice to the captain and the coach. That two of them have been asked to show their form in the tour game could suggest that Malinga and Prasad have a lead over them, but a five-for against a near-Test side never hurt anybody.

Most interesting, though, will be how Mendis bowls. He will be up against the same batting line-up that he tortured two years ago; the same batsmen have been torturing him since. He knows there will be a vacancy with Murali retiring after the first Test. He also knows he needs to convince them that he is the man to fill it. Mendis will be bowling to get his Test career back on track, to the same set of blokes he launched it against in the first place.

Sidharth Monga is a staff writer at Cricinfo

Mendis left out of home series against India

India in Sri Lanka 2010

Sa'adi Thawfeeq

July 9, 2010

Lasith Malinga is set to play his first Test since December 2007 © AFP

Fast bowler Lasith Malinga has been named in the 16-member Sri Lanka squad for the three-Test series against India beginning on July 18, setting him up for a return to Tests after two-and-a-half years . However, there was no place for spinner Ajantha Mendis, who tormented India during their previous Test visit two years ago.

Malinga played his last Test against England at Galle in 2007 before a knee injury laid him low and forced him out of cricket for nine months. Malinga was cured by Sri Lanka President Mahinda Rajapakse's personal physician Dr Eliyantha White and since then his appearances for his country has been only in limited-over internationals and in Twenty20 Internationals.

Malinga's return to Test cricket was slow because the team physio did not want to push him too early to play in the longer version of the game. However selection committee sources stated that they had got the greenlight from physio Tommy Simsek who has been monitoring Malinga's progress carefully that he was now fully fit to play in a five-day Test match.

"Malinga has nine more days before the first Test against India and we are confident he will be fit to play. He has been bowling long spells at the nets and has shown no side effects," a selection committee source said. Since making his Test debut against Australia at Darwin in 2004, Malinga has played in 28 Tests and captured 91 wickets.The other members of the fast-bowling department are Dilhara Fernando, Chanaka Welegedara and Dammika Prasad.

Offspinner Muttiah Muralitharan who is due to retire at the end of Galle Test has also been named in the squad along with left-arm spinner Rangana Herath and young off-spinner Suraj Randiv who is likely to take Muralitharan's place for the rest of the series. Mendis, who became a star with 26 wickets in three Tests against India when they visited in 2008, was left out.

The Sri Lanka Board President's team to take on India in a three-day practice match ahead of the Tests was also named. Thilan Samaraweera will lead the side which includes first-choice Test keeper Prasanna Jayawardene and promising batsmen Lahiru Thirimanne, Ashan Priyanjan and Dinesh Chandimal.

Test squad: Kumar Sangakkara (capt), Muttiah Muralitharan (vc), Tillakaratne Dilshan, Tharanga Paranavitana, Mahela Jayawardene, Thilan Samaraweera, Angelo Mathews, Prasanna Jayawardene, Lasith Malinga, Rangana Herath, Dilhara Fernando, Dammika Prasad, Suraj Randiv, Thilina Kandamby, Chanaka Welegedara, Lahiru Thirimanne.

Sri Lanka Board President's XI: Thilan Samaraweera (capt), Upul Tharanga, Lahiru Thirimanne, Thilina Kandamby, Prasanna Jayawardene (wk), Ashan Priyanjana, Kaushal Silva, Chanaka Welegedara, Dilhara Fernando, Chaminda Vidanapathirana, Sachitra Senanayake, Ajantha Mendis, Nuwan Pradeep, Kusal Janith, Dinesh Chandimal

India can handle Mendis - Dravid

Cricinfo staff

June 28, 2010

Rahul Dravid will make his return to international cricket on India's tour of Sri Lanka after an absence of almost six months © Associated Press

Rahul Dravid is confident India can handle the threat posed by "mystery spinner" Ajantha Mendis on the tour of Sri Lanka next month. Mendis tormented India's batsmen in 2008, taking 26 wickets in what was his debut series, as the home side emerged 2-1 winners over three Tests.

Dravid said India had figured out Mendis over the last two years and should be able to play him well. "He is still a good bowler," he told reporters. "He was completely new to us when we toured Sri Lanka last time. He got the measure our team last time, there is no doubt about it. He played a major role in the series. But hopefully, we have learnt our lesson.

"I think we played him pretty well when he came to India. We learnt how to tackle him. Having said that international bowlers keep on improving, international bowlers come up with new tricks every time. But hopefully we will have the answers [to] whatever Mendis throws at us this time."

Mendis played just one Test on Sri Lanka's tour of India last year, taking two wickets while conceding 162 runs.

The last time Dravid played international cricket was in January, when he scored an unbeaten century against Bangladesh in the second of two Tests. Injury ruled him out the subsequent series against South Africa, but he was part of the Royal Challengers Bangalore team that finished third in the IPL. He said he needed a little time to get back into the rhythm of Test cricket.

"Sometimes, it is little bit of challenge to return to Test cricket after a long break but there is preparation time in Sri Lanka. I am looking forward to some match practice before the series."

However, Dravid said the break from cricket was good for him and he has been training hard over the last six weeks to get ready for the tour. He predicted a close contest between two rivals who have seen a lot of each other in recent times.

"Sri Lanka is a very formidable team and they play tough cricket at home. In the last two times we travelled there, we won a Test match but did not win the series. It is a positive sign to win a Test there but it is now important for us to keep that performance going right throughout the upcoming series.

"It is going to be a challenge but we have got a good team. We have got bowlers who are capable of taking 20 wickets, which is important to win a Test. If we can put runs on the board, hopefully we will have a good series."

Galle will host the first Test, which kicks off on July 18, while the next two matches will be held in Colombo, at the SSC and the P Sara Oval. The second and third Tests are between July 26 and 30 and August 3 and 7 respectively.

© ESPN EMEA Ltd.