NEW DELHI, Sept 3: Sri Lanka’s mystery spinner Ajantha Mendis on Wednesday said the swashbuckling Indian opener Virender Sehwag right was the only Indian batsman he found difficult to bowl to in the recently-concluded Test and ODI series.
"There was not much of a difference in bowling to most of the Indian batsmen. Their styles were similar. But bowling to Sehwag was the toughest of jobs," said Mendis who picked up Indian wickets in heaps in both the Test and ODI series.
Mendis said he had grown in confidence after the series against India during which he got prized scalps of likes of Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid more than once. "I feel very happy to be bowling to the best batsmen in the world. After bowling to Sehwag, Tendulkar, Ganguly, Dravid, Laxman and Dhoni how can I not be confident? If I can take their wickets, then I can take anyone's wicket in the world," he said.
On how he planned Tendulkar's dismissal, Mendis said, "I had been learning about the batting styles of the Indian batsmen for some time. I understood Tendulkar's batting style and studied the weaknesses. That's how I took his wicket."
Asked whether Dhoni was the other tough customer after Sehwag, Mendis said, "I think he batted very well against me. When I put the ball in the right area he defended me. But the moment I put the ball outside that area he punished me.”
The Lankans won the Test series 2-1 but lost the ODI series 2-3 but Mendis said he found no difference in the batting style of the two Indian sides.
Mendis, however, admitted that gradually the Indians and other international teams would learn to read him and he is prepared to cope with that. "As time has passed since I first bowled to them this team which is one of the best in the world is beginning to understand me. Also other teams must be trying to understand my bowling.”
Mendis is now aiming to do well against world champions Australia. "No special batsman as such but I want to bowl to the Australians. They have some great batsmen in their ranks and I am waiting to bowl at them," he said.—Agencies
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