Sri Lanka captain Mahela Jayawardene has praised Ajantha Mendis after returning from a long-term injury with a stunning haul of 6/8 in their victory over Zimbabwe in the World T20 opener on Tuesday.
The T20 hosts begun in the perfect fashion with a comfortable 82-run victory over Zimbabwe, posting 4/182 before bowling out their opponents for just 100, with Mendis the chief destroyer.
Mendis had missed the past eight months with a back injury and sent a warning to all sides at the tournament with his performance which won praise from Jayawardene.
“Even in the domestic tournament he came back and bowled really well. That was the indicator to see how match fit he was and how much control he had,” he said.
“This was his first game in eight months and he was a bit nervous before the game, but he bowled really well.”
The Sri Lanka skipper added: “It’s a good wicket, just needed to get used to it a little bit. Our guys batted really well, and the bowlers then did a super job.”
For the hosts, Kumar Sangakkara hit 44 off 30 balls, while Jeevan Mendis chipped in with an unbeaten 43 off 30 and opener Tillakaratne Dilshan with 39 off 28. Hamilton Tabakadze topscored for Zimbabwe with just 20 off 23 in a disappointing run chase.