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==International career==
===Impressive debut years===
After becoming the leading wicket-taker in the 2007-08 Premier League with 54 wickets at an average of ten, Mendis was picked int the ODI squad for the series [[Sri Lankan cricket team in the West Indies in 2007–08|against West Indies]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.espncricinfo.com/wivsl/content/story/342044.html |title=Jayasuriya faces axe for West Indies series |publisher=ESPNcricinfo |accessdate=29 August 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.espncricinfo.com/wivsl/content/story/342129.html |title=Jayasuriya left out of West Indies ODIs |publisher=ESPNcricinfo |accessdate=29 August 2019}}</ref> He made his [[One Day International]] (ODI) debut on 10 April 2008 in first ODI against West Indies. He announced his arrival on the international stage with three for 39 off 10 overs in this game, and dumbfounded the West Indian batsmen with his range of variations without a perceptible change in his action.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.espncricinfo.com/wivsl/content/story/346113.html |title=We need to make a plan against Mendis: Bravo |publisher=ESPNcricinfo |accessdate=29 August 2019}}</ref> Rob Steen summed up the impact of this initial performance by stating "I have just seen the future of spin bowling – and his name is Ajantha Mendis." However, West Indies won the match by one wicket.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.espncricinfo.com/wivsl/content/story/345846.html |title=Chanderpaul clinches final-ball thriller |publisher=ESPNcricinfo |accessdate=29 August 2019}}</ref> In the second ODI, he bowled four wicketless overs for 21 runs and West Indies won the match and sealed the series 2-0.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.espncricinfo.com/series/14069/scorecard/319135/west-indies-vs-sri-lanka-2nd-odi-sri-lanka-tour-of-west-indies-2007-08 |title=2nd ODI, Sri Lanka tour of West Indies at Port of Spain, Apr 12 2008 |publisher=ESPNcricinfo |accessdate=29 August 2019}}</ref>
Mendis made his Test debut in [[Test cricket]] against India in at the [[Sinhalese Sports Club Ground]], Colombo, on 23 July 2008. He claimed his first wicket in his fifth over, bowling [[Rahul Dravid]] out with a delivery now christened the [[carrom ball]], that turned from middle and hit off stump. He went on to claim the wickets of [[Anil Kumble]], [[Zaheer Khan]] and [[VVS Laxman]] to finish with figures of 4 for 72. He followed this up with 4 for 60 in India's second innings. His match figures of 8 for 132 are the best by any Sri Lankan bowler on Test debut, bettering [[Kosala Kuruppuarachchi]]'s 7 for 85 against Pakistan in 1985–86. After the game [[Muttiah Muralitharan]] stated that "When I started playing Test cricket, I was not as good as Mendis. He is exceptional. He is the future of Sri Lankan cricket". Mendis collected his first ten-wicket haul in the very next match, which Sri Lanka went on to lose. With 26 wickets (ave.18.38) in the series, Mendis broke [[Alec Bedser]]'s world record for most wickets by a bowler on his debut in a three-Test series.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Alter|first1=Jamie|title=Tailenders' batting swung match – Sangakkara|url=http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/content/story/364564.html|publisher=ESPN Cricinfo|date=10 August 2008}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/content/current/story/364772.html▼
|title=Mendis beats a Bedser best|publisher=ESPNcricinfo |date=13 August 2008 |accessdate=13 August 2008| archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20080817075307/http://content-aus.cricinfo.com/magazine/content/current/story/364772.html| archivedate= 17 August 2008 | deadurl= no}}</ref> He was named player of the series award for his efforts.
On 10 October 2008 during first match in [[2008 Quadrangular Twenty20 Series in Canada|Quadrangular Twenty20 Series]], Mendis made his [[Twenty20]] debut against Zimbabwe in King City, Canada as the 22nd T20I cap for Sri Lanka. He claimed four for 15 in four overs and won the man of the match award. In the next game he took four wickets for 17 against Canada and went on to take three wickets for 23 in the four-nation series final against Pakistan, helping his side to a five-wicket win. For his remarkable performance of 11 wickets for 55 in just three games, Ajantha Mendis was adjudged the player of the series.
===Test cricket===
On 6 August 2010 during the series against India, Mendis scored his highest Test score of 78.
▲Mendis made his debut in [[Test cricket]] against India in at the [[Sinhalese Sports Club Ground]], Colombo, on 23 July 2008. He claimed his first wicket in his fifth over, bowling [[Rahul Dravid]] out with a delivery now christened the [[carrom ball]], that turned from middle and hit off stump. He went on to claim the wickets of [[Anil Kumble]], [[Zaheer Khan]] and [[VVS Laxman]] to finish with figures of 4 for 72. He followed this up with 4 for 60 in India's second innings. His match figures of 8 for 132 are the best by any Sri Lankan bowler on Test debut, bettering [[Kosala Kuruppuarachchi]]'s 7 for 85 against Pakistan in 1985–86. After the game [[Muttiah Muralitharan]] stated that "When I started playing Test cricket, I was not as good as Mendis. He is exceptional. He is the future of Sri Lankan cricket". Mendis collected his first ten-wicket haul in the very next match, which Sri Lanka went on to lose. With 26 wickets (ave.18.38) in the series, Mendis broke [[Alec Bedser]]'s world record for most wickets by a bowler on his debut in a three-Test series.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Alter|first1=Jamie|title=Tailenders' batting swung match – Sangakkara|url=http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/content/story/364564.html|publisher=ESPN Cricinfo|date=10 August 2008}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/content/current/story/364772.html
▲|title=Mendis beats a Bedser best|publisher=ESPNcricinfo |date=13 August 2008 |accessdate=13 August 2008| archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20080817075307/http://content-aus.cricinfo.com/magazine/content/current/story/364772.html| archivedate= 17 August 2008 | deadurl= no}}</ref> He was named player of the series award for his efforts. On 6 August 2010 during the series against India, Mendis scored his highest Test score of 78.
For his performances in 2008, he was named in the World Test XI by the Cricinfo.<ref>http://www.espncricinfo.com/review2008/content/story/385077.html</ref>
===One Day Internationals===
Ajantha Mendis, playing his eighth ODI, picked up the first six-wicket haul in the Asia Cup final against India in July 2008. His 6 for 13 is the third-best bowling performance in a tournament final, and the third-best for a spinner in ODIs. His 17 wickets is the best for an edition of the Asia Cup, and he bagged those wickets at an astounding average of 8.52. Ajantha Mendis won the man of the match award in the finals as well as the player of the tournament award for his efforts.
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===Twenty20 cricket===
Mendis has twice set, and currently holds, the record for best figures in a Twenty20 International. On 8 August 2011, he took six wickets for 16 runs in the [[Australian cricket team in Sri Lanka in 2011|second Twenty20 international]] against Australia, becoming the first bowler to take six wickets in a Twenty20 international, and surpassing Umar Gul's five wickets for six runs recorded against New Zealand in 2009.<ref>{{citation |title=Ajantha Mendis spins Sri Lanka to T20 series victory over Australia|agency=Associated Press | work=The Guardian|date=8 August 2011}}</ref> The following year, on 18 September 2012 in the opening match of the [[2012 ICC World Twenty20]] against Zimbabwe, Mendis bettered this record by taking six wickets for eight runs. Up to date, Mendis is the '''only bowler to take six wicket hauls in Two Twenty20 internationals.'''<ref name="T20records" /> He was named in the 'Team of the Tournament' for the 2012 T20 World Cup by the ICC.<ref>https://www.sportskeeda.com/cricket/finalists-dominate-icc-mens-and-womens-world-twenty20-sri-lanka-2012-teams-of-the-tournament</ref>
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