While the Indians were busy celebrating their Test win over South Africa in the second week of April, and keeping an eye on the IPL countdown, far away in West Indies a never-before-seen cricketing spectacle was unfolding. Mendis’s ODI debut saw the game face a new question: How to slot a bowler who is an offie one moment and leggie the next? Batsmen and commentators were stunned since a regular Mendis over had an off-break, leg-spinner, flipper, googly, straighter delivery and one ball that the bowler flicked with his thumb and index finger like a carom striker.

Suddenly Muralitharan, who missed the West Indies tour, seemed predictable, and Murali II was proving to be more intriguing with those extra twists and turns.

In just over a week, Mendis will be in Pakistan for the Asia Cup playing international cricket for the first time in the sub-continent, though he did turn out in one game for the Kolkata Knight Riders against Kings XI Punjab after being signed at a late stage for the IPL. With the new ‘freak show’ coming soon to world cricket’s epicentre, it isn’t tough to guess where the spotlight is headed.

Ask Jayawardene about Mendis and he gets a twinkle in his eye that is the prerogative of someone hiding an ace up his sleeve. “It’s really exciting to have a spinner like him in the squad. In Sri Lanka, the anticipation is similar to the one that was during Murali’s early days,” he says. And that’s saying a lot since the comparison happens to be with the highest wicket-taker in the world.

The man at the helm of affairs when Murali was taking his first step in international cricket, Arjuna Ranatunga, has one request that could ensure Mendis’s initiation in international cricket is smooth. “We never had a problem replacing our pacers but we had a tough time getting quality spinners. Finally, we have Mendis. Though it doesn’t seem like Murali will retire soon, it will be good if he sticks around for at least two years. It will be great if Murali is around to guide Mendis,” says the former Lanka captain and the present chairman of the board.

Another Sri Lankan superstar, Aravinda de Silva, who has had a long association with Murali, speaks about the advantage of having an unconventional bowler in the ranks. “Murali is a freak that one should understand. Right now I don’t want to compare Mendis with Murali. But having a bowler like him will be big for any captain as batsmen take time to adjust to such bowlers,” says Aravinda (in picture below), who, as a talent-spotter for the board, has picked several unorthodox spinners over the years.

The biggest compliment that Mendis can get comes from wicket-keeper Sangakkara who, after years of reading Murali, now has a new challenge.

“The Asia Cup isn’t just a test for Mendis who will be bowling against sub-continent batsmen who are used to facing spinners, but for me too,” he says. Sangakkara says reading Murali is easy since it is only a matter of judging if the ball is an off-spinner, doosra or top-spinner. “All I need to do when keeping against Murali is to get an idea of how much the ball is turning. But it is different against Mendis, who bowls six different balls in an over,” he says. Sangakkara says that the first time he faced Mendis as a batsman, it was tough to guess the variety he is dishing out. “I played him in a game. He didn’t get me out and that’s because I was mostly at the non-striker’s end,” he says in half jest. Sangakkara goes on to explain the strength of the rookie. “He is a private in the army and that means he is a very tough character. He is very consistent and has a great temperament.”

But the final word on the new sensation comes from the original master Murali. “I really look forward to bowling with him. I’m sure he will do well. But the real test for such unusual bowlers comes in the second year. By then the batsmen are used to playing them, besides he would have been video analysed extensively. One needs to redefine oneself constantly to be effective,” he says.

For that to happen, Mendis needs to be read from the old hand that will pass the baton to him in the near future and also keep his magic fingers crossed. With Mendis-Murali around, the Asia Cup may not be all about India playing Pakistan.