Which team will Mendis torment the most

[Matt79]

TBF, one is being hailed in some parts as the best bowler in the world, or at least better than Murali, whereas the other is being touted as a viable test option. The level of their over-hyping is proportional to their achievements to date.

 

[Uppercut]

How many games has he played in Aus, Eng, SA, and NZ?

Oh that's right - ZERO

How many tests has he played that's not in the spinners paradise of SL or against a minnow?

ZERO

Serious reality check is required for some

Well he's only going to play about 15-20% of his games in Aus, Eng, SA or NZ so it's not like failing there will balls him up too badly. At worst he would be at the level of someone like Anil Kumble- absolutely lethal in the SC but ineffective elsewhere. Although to watch his bowling there's not much to suggest that this will be the case.

SL is hardly a spinner's paradise anyway. Players like Kumble, Panesar, Mushy Ahmed, even Stuey MacGill have had a shocking time of it there.

 

[weldone]

All this Mendis love is premature.

Ummm....Nope...Let's see...

 

[weldone]

Stuart MacGill wasn't that far from being Test-standard,

What do you mean by 'test standard'? If I am not mistaken test standard is one who deserves (/deserved) to play for his National team for a number of tests (not one or two, but more, let's say more than 15-20, I am not sure of what should be the exact number though)...And if the definition of the phrase is the same to both of us, then I must say that this sentence was the least intelligent among what I've read in your posts...

 

[weldone]

...and only teasingly reveal glimpses of the form he displayed in his first handful of tests...

He'll go down as one of the better spinners in the history of the game if he only teasingly reveals glimpses of the form he displayed in his first handful of tests...

 

[weldone]

australia, south africa and india are the only three teams likely to have any sort of upper-hand over mendis and that too when each of them play him in their own backyards, facing mendis in sri lanka would be tough task for every team.

awta...

 

[Ikki]

Well he's only going to play about 15-20% of his games in Aus, Eng, SA or NZ so it's not like failing there will balls him up too badly. At worst he would be at the level of someone like Anil Kumble- absolutely lethal in the SC but ineffective elsewhere. Although to watch his bowling there's not much to suggest that this will be the case.

SL is hardly a spinner's paradise anyway. Players like Kumble, Panesar, Mushy Ahmed, even Stuey MacGill have had a shocking time of it there.

That's like saying India is hardly a spinner's paradise because every spin bowler has been hammered there.

 

[Uppercut]

That's like saying India is hardly a spinner's paradise because every spin bowler has been hammered there.

And to say that would be absolutely correct.

 

[tooextracool]

SL is hardly a spinner's paradise anyway. Players like Kumble, Panesar, Mushy Ahmed, even Stuey MacGill have had a shocking time of it there.

Thats the first I've heard. Sri Lanka has routinely offered more for spin bowlers than any country in the world including India. Yes some bowlers havent done as well, but thats because SL batsmen this decade have been the best players of spin in the world and therefore many spinners have struggled to take wickets consistently. Lets not forget that bowlers like Giles and Croft have had absolute field days there. Obviously the conditions are not always the same for every visiting team, but there is a higher proportion of turners in SL than anywhere else in the world.

 

[JBH001]

There may be some truth to that, but only some. As so often on CW these discussions and descriptions tend to get bogged down in generalizations. It is probably true that Sri Lanka favours spin bowling, as does India, but often nowhere to the extent that it is often made out to be. Not every Sri Lankan or Indian pitch is a turners paradise, and at times, these turners paradises are of the slow and low variety which are not all that troublesome to patient and quality batsmen.

Edit/ Also SL batsmen the best players of spin in the world this decade? But Giles and Croft have field days there? That does not compute, imo.

 

[tooextracool]

That is true, and I have often been at odds with those who continue to generalize places with certain conditions. However, there is obvious truth to the fact that players like Murali and players like Mendis who have played a lot of cricket in these conditions, are beneficiaries of more favorable conditions than the rest of the world.

 

[JBH001]

Ummm....Nope...Let's see...

Yep. I think he will be lucky to have half the career that Murali (or Warne) has had. But, as you say, lets wait and see.

 

[JBH001]

However, there is obvious truth to the fact that players like Murali and players like Mendis who have played a lot of cricket in these conditions, are beneficiaries of more favorable conditions than the rest of the world.

Agreed. Especially from the late 90s on. Although I do wonder these days if it still holds true to the same extent.

 

[tooextracool]

Agreed. Especially from the late 90s on. Although I do wonder these days if it still holds true to the same extent.

Even if Murali and Mendis play 99% of their home games on the 'low and slow' variety where they bowl 50+ overs and take 5 for 100 odd, they are still better off than the likes of Vettori IMO. Maybe the amount of genuine turners across the world, particularly in India have reduced, but I still believe that the slow wickets help spinners more there than other places in the world.

 

[tooextracool]

Edit/ Also SL batsmen the best players of spin in the world this decade? But Giles and Croft have field days there? That does not compute, imo.

Croft and Giles are fairly decent bowlers when the ball is turning, so them troubling the best players of spin is not exactly shocking.

 

[gunner]

hasnt he tormented india enough?

 

[JBH001]

Even if Murali and Mendis play 99% of their home games on the 'low and slow' variety where they bowl 50+ overs and take 5 for 100 odd, they are still better off than the likes of Vettori IMO. Maybe the amount of genuine turners across the world, particularly in India have reduced, but I still believe that the slow wickets help spinners more there than other places in the world.

That is a fair point. Although I will say that the ease of taking wickets on slow and low turners is over-stated against quality batting sides. It is not simply just a matter of putting the ball on the spot and waiting for the pitch to do the work, as can often be the case on real crumbling and spitting turners.

 

[JBH001]

Croft and Giles are fairly decent bowlers when the ball is turning, so them troubling the best players of spin is not exactly shocking.

Hmmm, maybe. Although I find it difficult to argue about the spin bowling merits of Giles and Croft with respect to top batting sides.

I disagree that Sri Lanka have been the best players of spin on the past decade. I would still put India at the top, followed by Australia (post 2001), then Sri Lanka.

 

[Ikki]

And to say that would be absolutely correct.

No, it wouldn't. In India, like in Sri Lanka, the batsmen are very very good players of spin. That does not mean the conditions/pitch do not suit spinners - in fact they do, very much. Check the stats for visiting spinners and those that are home, they are usually very different because of this fact and because not only are the home spinners more used to bowling there but their batsmen are more adept at facing spin at home. I think I did a statistical analysis about this a while ago. The only two places where spin averages better than pace are India and Sri Lanka. That's not a coincidence.

 

[Uppercut]

That is true, and I have often been at odds with those who continue to generalize places with certain conditions. However, there is obvious truth to the fact that players like Murali and players like Mendis who have played a lot of cricket in these conditions, are beneficiaries of more favorable conditions than the rest of the world.

The point is that when you're averaging considerably less than pretty much any bowler ever has in FC, List A, test, ODI and T20 cricket after a sizeable portion of matches, saying it's because "hes played all his games on a spinners paradise" is pretty daft. Sri Lanka pitches vary from raging turners to flat no-resulters to low, slow ones and so on.