During many endless debates recently over the newfound mystery spinner, Ajantha Mendis baiters fell in two categories. There were those who shook their heads, rolled their eyes and muttered “no way” in utter disgust whenever there was talk about the new-freak-on-the-block bothering the Indian middle-order. They predicted a first-round KO in this bout between the heavyweight veterans and the debutant rookie.

Then there were others who were dismissive of the Mendis hype and spoke about the short lifespan of bizarre bowlers. They predicted this rare cricketing novelty would be in vogue for maybe a Test, a series or at best a season. When Mendis’s middle finger got compared to past players such as Gleeson and Iverson, these well-informed critics had a question ready: Do you know how many Tests Gleeson or Iverson played? In an era of frame-by-frame software dissection, Mendis wasn’t given a chance.

After Mendis’s first day on the field as a Test cricketer, the no-contest predictors are tongue-tied while those with the he’ll-be-sorted stance are silent but still manage a glum ‘wait and watch’ retort.

Mendis finished the day with figures of 18-3-58-1, numbers much inferior to the original freak Muttiah Muralitharan’s 15-3-38-4. Mendis got just one wicket but his 18-over unchanged spell showed he can ensure silence is maintained from his end while the master is at work.

No respite

After bowling a few full tosses in the initial overs while trying to get the loopy leg-spinners right, Mendis concentrated mainly on his two stock balls to tie down the Indian batsmen. And it wasn’t easy being an Indian batsman today.

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