Mendis bamboozles Aussies as Sri Lanka win series 2-0 | Highlights
KANDY: Ajantha Mendis cashed in on Australians’ inability to handle spin bowling mesmerizing them completely as he produced the best bowling spell in Twenty20 cricket on Monday night at Pallekele Stadium to help Sri Lanka win the second Twenty20 International by eight runs.
Ajantha Mendis. Courtesy: Getty Images
With this victory, Sri Lanka have won the two-match Twenty20 International series by 2-0 after they won the first T20 match by 35 runs the other day.
New T20 Bowling World Record for Mendis
Ajantha Mendis took six wickets for just 16 runs, superseding earlier world record of five wickets for six runs by Pakistani fast bowler Umar Gul which he had recorded during the ICC Twenty20 World Cup 2009 in England.
Ajantha Mendis , Dilruwan Perera. Courtesy: AP PHOTO
Australians are not renowned for playing spin bowling with authority and after all of their quality batsmen are already out of the T20 format, the young Aussies found it tough to read what Mendis was delivering. The orthodox offspin-legspin bowler used Aussies’ frailty against spin bowling to perfection and put the ball in the right areas just back-off-length to create doubts in their minds as they lost wickets after a superb start provided by Shane Watson.
Mahela Does it Again for Lankans
Batting first, Sri Lanka scored competitive 157 runs for the loss of nine wickets from their 20 overs, thanks mainly to a brilliant half century by opening batsman Mahela Jayawardene (86 from 63 – 12 fours, 1 six). The other highest score by any other Sri Lankan was 24 which was made by wicketkeeper-batsman Kumar Sangakkara (24 from 16 – 1 four, 1 six).
Mahela Jayawardene. Courtesy: Getty Images
While Mahela Jayawardene made sure the home side get a respectable total on the board, Australia fast bowler John Hastings produced a superb spell of bowling taking three wickets for just 14 runs from his four overs.
Bizarre No-Ball Call in Brett Lee’s Final Over
Brett Lee also bowled well and captured three wickets for 39 runs and was unlucky in his final over when he got out Jayawardene on the first ball with a full-toss delivery which was around waist height. However, third umpire called it a No-Ball when it was very clear that Jayawardene was bent while playing that stroke and the ball was still right at the waist height. While Breet Lee managed to eventually get rid of Jayawardene, a leg-side wide brought four byes with it that added to Cameron White’s woes as Australian skipper as his premier fast bowler went for 12 runs in the final over, which made an important impact in the outcome of the match.
Mahela Jayawardene. Courtesy: Getty Images
Shane Watson in Blistering Form
Australia started their run-chase with all guns blazing. Especially Shane Watson (57 from 24 – 6 fours, 5 sixes) produced one of the best innings in the Twenty20 cricket as he plundered Thisara Perera, Nuwan Kulasekara and Dilruwan Perera with some lusty blows.
Shane Watson, Kumar Sangakkara. Courtesy: AP PHOTO
Australian openers took the total to 71 without loss in just 5.4 overs before Shane Watson, in a bid to play too many shots, paid the price and lofted one straight down the throat of Thisara Perera to become first victim of Ajantha Mendis.
Mathews-Jayawardene ‘Relay Catch’
Australians were right on top of the proceedings at that moment needing 87 runs from 85 balls with nine wickets in hands. However, Ajantha Mendis was just warming up. The multi-pronged spin bowler got rid of David Warner (16 from 18 – 2 fours) as a fielding partnership of Angelo Mathews and Mahela Jayawardene brought about his dismissal. Warner took the long route and a running Mathews caught the ball but was in danger of running over the boundary. Sensing danger he threw the ball to Mahela Jayawardene 30 metres away who took an easy catch to complete the dismissal.
Angelo Mathews, Ajantha Mendis. Courtesy: Getty Images
Talking about the phenomenal catch, Sri Lanka captain Tillakaratne Dilshan termed it the turning point in the match. He said, “We knew one or two wickets and we could put pressure on them. We were hanging in, and waiting for a breakthrough”.
Mathews gave his instinct the credit for his brilliance in the field as he said, “I just saw Mahela and went for it. I wasn’t looking at the boundary, I just wanted to take the catch and relay it to Mahela after I saw it”.
Ajantha Mendis Show
Mendis then bamboozled Shaun Marsh (Duck) with a beautiful delivery outside the offstump while Rangana Herath beaten David Hussey (2 from 3) in the flight on a drifter that clipped the leg-stump as Australia were stunned with quick flurry of wickets as they fell down to four down for 75 runs in the ninth over.
Disappointed Australians. Courtesy: Getty Images
With going getting tough, Australian captain Cameron White (39 from 32 – 1 four, 3 sixes) was able to build a partnership with Steven Smith (12 from 19 – 1 fours) who was once again surprisingly sent ahead of Brad Haddin.
White, Smith Stable the Ship
The momentum started to go back with the Australians as the two batsmen started to find their feet against spinners and added 38 runs for the fifth wicket before Sri Lankan captain Tillakaratne Dilshan brought Ajantha Mendis back into the attack. Mendis once again made the ball do the talking and straight away stuck with wicket of Smith before getting rid of Brad Haddin (Duck) on the first ball.
Ajantha Mendis, Tillakratne Dilshan, Kumar Sangakkara. Courtesy: Getty Images
White Falls in Final Over
With wickets falling like leaves in the autumn season, Cameron White decided to use long handle and struck some lusty blows but the target was way too much for the Aussies and when White got an inside edge on to his stump in the final over, it was all over for the tourists. Australia’s last nine wickets fell for only 78 runs.
Cameron White. Courtesy: Getty Images
Man Of The Match
Ajantha Mendis was declared Man of the Match for his world record figures of 4-1-16-6 as now the two teams will face off in the five-match One Day Internationals series which starts Wednesday at Pallekele Stadium, Kandy.
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