14 Tuesday 15th April, 2008 Mendis sets tongues wagging on ODI debut PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad — his hand on the computer, and it was Dimitri Mascarenhas Tougher days surely lie ahead, but still really difficult to pick him, but I Ajantha Mendis appears to be a spin found that once you are prepared to bowler with a bright future based on watch the ball closely, it is half the Mascarenhas the evidence of his One-day job done.” International debut for Sri Lanka in Bravo admitted: “He is a very commits the West Indies, AFP reported on good bowler, and we will have to go Monday. back to drawing board to try to come The 23-year-old from Moratuwa up with a way to score off his bowl- to IPL bowled impressively to collect three ing freely.” wickets for 39 runs from his quota of Sri Lanka coach Trevor Bayliss The one-day leg of England’s tour 10 overs making his debut for Sri felt it was a pretty good debut effort to New Zealand was nearing its end Lanka. It brought to mind Muttiah from Mendis, and he too, believes he and the Indian Premier League (IPL) was becoming a topic of dressing- Muralitharan, the Sri Lanka off-spin could have a long career in the room conversation. International bowling legend, when he first game. cricket is a tight community and the stepped onto the international scene “I could tell you about his varia- extravagant fees pledged for players with his freakish bowling action, the tions if I knew what they were, even some way below world class report added. and even a lot of our guys struggle made for lively gossip. Dimitri Mendis trapped Gayle lbw with a to know what he is doing with the Mascarenhas joined in those chats, all delivery that went straight on, bam- ball,” Bayliss quipped. the time holding back a piece of infor- boozled Darren Sammy with a flip- “The poise that he had in the mation that would have stunned his per that totally squared first ODI - not just what colleagues. up the batsman and skid- he was bowling - to be For Mascarenhas, the IPL had ded through to hit the top able to keep a lid on moved from being a theoretical option of off-stump, before hold- things under pressure in in the distant future to something ing his nerve after Jerome ODI cricket is a very more tangible. Within days of the Taylor clubbed him for good sign. mind-boggling first auction, Shane six, tossing the next ball “This has been the Warne, assessing the initial round of up having caught on the exceptional thing from purchases made by the Jaipur fran- chise he was assigned to captain and long-on boundary. my point of view. To be coach, had phoned his friend to set a Even Ramnaresh able to maintain his com- deal in motion. Sarwan appeared clueless posure and do what he “I felt I could not really speak to at times to what Mendis normally does was bril- any of the England management or was delivering, and at one liant.” players specifically about the stage, after being deceived Bayliss agreed that approach,” Mascarenhas said. “I am by the flight and the turn ODIs was not the best sure the other guys had people asking of a delivery, the West place to experiment, and them if they were interested, as well. Indies vice-captain looked many coaches may have When you see the millions of dollars quizzically at the young Ajantha Mendis dissuaded Mendis from on offer to Mahendra Singh Dhoni and spinner with an expres- doing things his own way, Andrew Symonds, players are not just sion that seemed to suggest “what but the Sri Lanka coach was pre- going to go, ‘So what?’ It was a huge freak of nature have Sri Lanka pared to let the young slow bowler talking point.” unearthed now”. let it all hang out. By the time that Mascarenhas West Indies all-rounder Dwayne “We just told him to go out there arrived in Perth for a holiday, Warne had spoken to the men behind Bravo, who won Man-of-the-Match, and do whatever he has done in the Rajasthan Royals to confirm that they had to agree that it was difficult to past,” he said. “But it’s how young would take Mascarenhas in the sec- pick Mendis. players handle the pressure of ond auction. Thus began a train of “To be honest, when we saw his international cricket that’s critical, calls and e-mails between the player stats - after 19 first-class matches, he and he handled it very well. and his agent, Dave Ligertwood, and had 111 wickets at an average of “From my point of view, the Rod Bransgrove, the Hampshire chair- 14.54 - we knew he had to be bowling higher up the ladder you go in this man. Bargaining soon moved beyond something good,” Bravo said. game, it’s more of a mental thing. Ajantha Mendis bowls during the second One-Day International between Sri the coming summer to future seasons. “Sarwan had problems picking It’s how you cope with pressure, Lanka and the West Indies in Trinidad. “I wanted to play for the full six him, and from the time we saw this, and if something is working for inevitable, but for right now, he “Who knows, one day on one of weeks,” Mascarenhas said. “But that most of the batters retreated to the him at one level, it’s no reason why rejoices that he also has young those typical pitches in south Asia, was never going to happen and, even- dressing room, and had a close look it cannot work at the next.” slow bowlers of the quality of we will pick all three,” he said. tually, we reached a compromise. Rod at his hand on the TV monitor. Bayliss believes the comparisons Mendis and leg-spinner Malinga For the purists, this would be a held all the cards. He knew that I “I actually went and had a look at with Muralitharan will be Bandara at his disposal. delicious prospect. could not go without Hampshire’s per- mission.” In contrast, Bransgrove thought that Mascarenhas was in the stronger position because his contract was due to expire at the end of the season. Caddick:Harmison “There was no threat to leave,” Roddick leads USA to semi-finals Mascarenhas, who has succeeded Andy Roddick guided beat Thomas Johansson Warne as Hampshire captain, said. “I champions United States in Friday’s opening rub- would never say that and, if Rod had must learn trade to the Davis Cup semi- ber and partnered said no, I would have stayed anyway ... Andy Caddick finals by winning Guillermo Canas in I think we are both fairly happy with claims Steve Sunday’s reverse singles Saturday’s doubles win. the outcome.” Harmison is among against France’s Paul- Against Soderling, Mascarenhas is to spend May 12 to a clutch of England Henri Mathieu. Nalbandian broke serve 26 in Jaipur this year, but will play fast bowlers who Roddick served strong- in the opening game and throughout the 2009 and 2010 tourna- need a long spell in ly to win 6-2 6-3 6-2 - his then held to go 2-0 up and ments. county cricket to second singles win in the his better shot placement After the excitement surrounding “learn their trade” tie - and give the US an allowed him to take the the first auction, the second was rela- before returning to unbeatable 3-1 lead in the set. tively low-key. “A lot of the franchises the international tie in North Carolina. Soderling then got two had almost spent up,” Mascarenhas scene. The holders will now successive breaks in the said. “I worked out that the most I The 39-year-old face Spain, who had second set and converted could get if somebody else wanted me Somerset seamer already secured victory his fourth set point before and the bidding went up was $240,000 feels selectors have over Germany on also breaking twice in the [about £115,000]. I felt quite nervous. introduced too Saturday. third set as the wind On the day, I was just south of Perth many players The other semi-final Andy Roddick picked up. and I kept ringing my brother to find before they are will pit Russia against Russia advanced after leading Davydenko in the Nalbandian was bro- out if there was any news until some- ready for the Argentina. Tomas Berdych of the opening reverse singles ken in the first game of thing came up on the internet.” rigours of compet- Roddick was in superb Czech Republic withdrew match in the first round the fourth set but recov- Mascarenhas went for a modest ing at the top level. form against Mathieu, injured from his match in February. ered to break back in the $100,000, but, with payment on a pro Caddick, who breaking his opponent with Nikolay Davydenko. In the final singles of fourth and eighth games rata basis, he stands to make less than took 234 wickets in five times. Berdych fell and hurt the quarter-final in to send the match to a £20,000 this season. “Not a killing at 62 Test matches for The Frenchman dou- his ankle when he lunged Moscow, Lukas Dlouhy fifth set. all,” he said. “Really, it is the experi- England, has urged ble-faulted to give for a forehand in the fifth beat Marat Safin 6-3 6-3 to Although Soderling got ence of being there that grabs me.