Cricket Classics - Part XXiii : 2008 Asia Cup Final: Ajantha Mendis owned India like a Chad

Hello, fellow Sports Enthusiasts,

Cricket is not just a sport between two teams; it's a battle of skills, strategy, and capitalizing on clutch moments. Although the game has transformed over the decades, it has never failed to impress or leave us with unforgettable moments.

So, through this series, I will present some of the most iconic cricket matches that have made fans jump out of their seats. Let's remember those legendary games once a week. I am with another iconic match.

Made by leonardo.ai

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Sri Lanka is known for producing unorthodox ballers over time. Ajantha Mendis is one of the most mysterious spinners cricket has ever witnessed, who stunned the world with his variations. Bro played an important part in the Sri Lankan golden era, a rather short career from 2008-2014. It's not the records/ his overall performances, but the impact he had at that time was priceless.

So, let's see his most memorable performance, which destroyed the Indian batting lineup, securing the Asia Cup title for Sri Lanka.

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The 2008 Asia Cup was an ODI tournament organized by the Asian Cricket Council with 6 teams: India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Bangladesh, UAE, and Hong Kong.

India and Sri Lanka advanced to the finals with a dominant performance by both teams. The experienced Mahela Jayawardene led the team with a juicy squad of Sanath Jayasuriya, Muttiah Muralitharan, Kumar Sangakkara, Chaminda Vaas, Tillakaratne Dilshan, etc, and some new talents. Our protagonist, Mendis, also just entered the Cricket World.

India, led by MS Dhoni, had a powerful setup with Sehwag, Gambhir, Raina, Yuvraj, etc. I think you can imagine the level of talent and intensity of both these teams, and everyone was waiting for a grand finale.

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It was on July 06, 2008, at Karhchi stadium. I think this was the last time India played in Pakistan, due to their Political conflicts.

After winning the toss, Sri Lanka chose to bat first. It wasn't a good start for us. Wickets started to fall from the second over, and at one stage we were 66/4. Anyway, the legendary Sanath Jayasuriya came to the rescue once again. He not only held one end but also smashed the Indian bowlers, just like he’s known for. He scored 125 runs in 114 balls and batted till the 35th over. He and Dilshan added 131 runs for the 5th wicket. So, with that effort, Sri Lanka posted a solid total of 273/9 in 50 overs.

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The chase began. Virender Sehwag set the tone crazily for India, heavily targeting the Sri Lankan ballers. They lost Gambhir early for Vass, but reached 50 in just 6 overs, and Shewag scored 60 in 36 balls with 12 fours. Anyway, everything changed when Mendis came to the party in the 10th over.

He got the big fish first, and then Yuvraj for a duck in the same over. From there, India had no Idea how to handle him. They were completely deceived by Mendis's variations. MS Dhoni tried to change things, but our ballers were too good at the moment.

• Mendis' Final Bowling Figures:
  8 overs | 1 maiden | 13 runs | 6 wickets | 1.62 average

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Those were insane figures by him against a quality batting lineup. He was just a 23-year-old at that time. His victims were Sehwag, Yuvraj, Raina, Rohit Sharma, Irfan Pathan, and RP Singh.

So with this effort, India was all out for 173 runs in 39.3 overs. Sri Lanka became the champions by 100 runs. For the brilliant performance by Ajantha Mendis, he became the player of the match and series as well.

See you at the next episode!! You can always suggest a match to discuss in the next episode.

src - espncricinfo

Thank you.
Best Regards!