The ten finest ODI performances

Ajantha Mendis’ sensational debut

Talk about sensational debuts!

Within the space of a few months, Ajantha Mendis transformed himself from an unknown to the most talked about bowler in the world putting in the shade even his famous contemporary Muthiah Muralitharan.

For a start, the figures associated with him during the year are out of fantasy world. In 13 ODIs, Mendis took 48 wickets - easily the highest tally - at an average of just over ten runs apiece.

He had a niggardly economy rate of 3.58 and an unbelievable strike rate of 16.9. Three times he had a four-wicket haul and three times a five-wicket haul with a best of six for 13. But more than the statistics it was the mystifying nature of his bowling that attracted considerable attention.

Batsmen – some of them the most skilful and experienced in world cricket – just could not read him as Mendis bamboozled, bewildered and bothered them with a mixture of googlies, offbreaks, top-spinners, flippers and legbreaks. Batsmen were confounded by the variety of deliveries he had up his sleeve and were at a loss to figure out what his stock delivery was while his carrom ball was the most discussed and analysed delivery in the game in the year.

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The 2008 Sports Yearender | Full Coverage: England in India