We have figured Mendis out: Rohit Sharma

Agencies Posted: Sep 05, 2008 at 1823 hrs
Mumbai, September 5: Young middle order batsman Rohit Sharma reckons Indian players had become more adept in reading the guiles of mystery spinner Ajantha Mendis in the one-day series after getting the chance to play frequently against him on the recent tour of Sri Lanka.

He also did not foresee the Indian batsmen experiencing any difficulties against the Lankan bowling sensation in the future.

"You might have seen what happened in the one-day series (in Sri Lanka). He did not get as many wickets (as in the Tests). That was because our players had played him more often by then. I don't see any difficulty (in playing Mendis) in the future," Sharma said before leaving for Chennai to represent Mumbai in the Buchi Babu tournament.

Mendis mesmerised the strong Indian batting line-up in the Test series, in which the 21-year-old Sharma could not get a look-in though he was part of the squad, by grabbing 26 wickets with his bewitching mixture that included what's known as the "carrom ball", the one flicked with his middle finger.

Mendis, who formed a deadly combination with the world's highest Test wicket-taker, off spin ace Muthiah Muralitharan, in the three-Test rubber that his team won 2-1, was slightly less successful in the five-match one-day series that followed and which was won by India.

The 23-year-old Lankan, India's bugbear from the Asia Cup final in Pakistan, still managed to take 13 wickets in the ODI series at just under 12 per victim, but could not prevent the Indian team under Mahendra Singh Dhoni from clinching the ODI series for the first time in Lanka.