England came up against ambidextrous spinner Kamindu Mendis in Sri Lanka, with the 20-year-old bowling with both hands.
As per a report in Sky Sports, Mendis bowled five right-arm off-breaks to the left-handed Eoin Morgan before switching to left-arm spin against the right-handed Joe Root. Although Sri Lankan Board XI lost the match by 43 runs (Duckworth Lewis method), Mendis grabbed the headlines for his unique skillset.
Cricket fraternity had first witnessed this exceptional skill of Kamindu Mendis back in the Under-19 World Cup of 2016.
He bowls with his left, he bowls with his right... @englandcricket came up against ambidextrous spinner Kamindu Mendis in their warm-up match today - we first witnessed his unique skill back at #U19CWC 2016!
— ICC (@ICC) October 5, 2018
Have you seen anything like it?! ???? pic.twitter.com/2gtVsVMggy
Right-arm and left-arm in the same over from ambidextrous spinner Kamindu Mendis!
— England Cricket (@englandcricket) October 5, 2018
How would you get on bowling with both arms?
Scorecard: https://t.co/CXv0c6zqIC pic.twitter.com/Edm7MqELka
???? He bowls with his left, his bowls with his right, that Kamindu Mendis, his bowling's ???? ... all right actually
— Times Sport (@TimesSport) October 5, 2018
England face a bowler who switches arm mid-over in their opening tour gamehttps://t.co/IK7ZLwuwGp pic.twitter.com/VXRR6mwGSd
Mendis is also a handy batsman. He also scored a well-composed 61 off just 72 balls against in the first warm-up match against England.
"When I was eight years old, playing in the garden with my friends, I learned to bowl with both arms. Now I am comfortable with both and happy to do it in any match," Mendis told the reporters after the practice game.
"Root and Morgan knew what I was going to do, they didn't panic and are big-match players. They are two of the best I have bowled to. My aim is to play for Sri Lanka, I'll work hard for it," he added.
Mendis is yet to make his full international debut and has not been included in Sri Lanka's squad for the ODI series against England, which starts in Dambulla on Wednesday (October 10).
