Well, its been a while since I’ve blogged but I can’t think of a better occasion than SRI LANKA winning the ASIA CUP! Its like Spain winning Euro 2008 I guess, except Sri Lanka wont become the number one ranked team in the world. But considering the Sri Lankan team’s record since becoming the runners-up at the 2007 World Cup has been…poor (for a team that was the 2nd best in the world) this is very much like a new beginning. I’m just hoping its not a false dawn.

Just like how Spain had the experience of Iker Casillas and the brilliance of Fernando Torres, Sri Lanka has a dynamic duo in Ajantha Mendis and Sanath Jayasuriya.

Firstly, Sanath. This is a man who is 39 years and six days old, but incredibly keeps delivering on and on again. And he keeps going on and on! And maybe if he keeps going like this he could still end his career in the 2011 World Cup. That’s a long shot considering he’d be 42 years old, but stranger things can happen. The most incredible thing about Sanath Jayasuriya is time and time again, people write him off but he keeps coming back stronger and stronger. But it also raises a question of how Sri Lanka can cope without his presence at the top of the order when he eventually does retire from One-day Internationals as well. But, until a few months ago Sri Lanka also had a problem of replacing Muttiah Muralitharan as well. And while Murali IS irreplacable, Ajantha Mendis has come along all of a sudden.

Sanath Jayasuriya

Keeps going on and on and on and on and on... © AFP

Almost out of nowhere (well, we know he’s from Sri Lanka!) Ajantha Mendis has suddenly got the whole world talking about him…okay, people who follow Cricket then at least! And it seemed to me like the Indian batsmen found Murali easier to play! And the umpires could not pick him either! One thing is for sure, Ajantha Mendis will not have it so easy in the future. All the teams that come up against him will study study him from every possible angle to try to read his variations. Especially when he comes up against Australia and India. Which makes the upcoming Test series against the Indians that much fun to watch!

Ajantha Mendis

Mendis Special © AFP

The thing that makes me happiest with the Asia Cup win is the fact that Sri Lanka didn’t have two of their main strike bowlers in the side either. So I can only imagine how good this side would be when Lasith Malinga and Fraveez Maharoof are back. A bowling attack of Chaminda Vaas, Lasith Malinga, Farveez Maharoof, Muttiah Muralitharan and Ajantha Mendis…makes me giddy just to think about it!

Although they failed in the final, Chamara Silva and Chamara Kapugedara have also seemed to have matured. Combine that with Mahela and Kumar…Sri Lanka have a strong batting line-up too. (Yay!) When all the pieces come together, I don’t think any team will find Sri Lanka easy…in fact, a Seven Nation Army couldn’t hold them back!