Asia Cup 2008

Mendis phobia got us:Dhoni

India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni admitted that his team succumbed to a ‘Mendis-phobia’ in the Asia Cup final on Sunday night. Mendis, who was adjudged both Man of the Match and Man of the Tournament, made all the difference in the final with a six-wicket haul as Sri Lanka cantered to a 100-run win.

Asked if India succumbed to a Mendis-phobia in the final, Dhoni said, “I think it was so. I think he was too hot to handle. We were playing him for the first time and he was lethal. In fact none of us could pick him. He came to bowl in the 10th over and bowled brilliantly. Whenever we were trying to repair, he came and grabbed wickets,” Dhoni said. “However, it was a good learning curve, especially because we would be touring Sri Lanka for Test and ODI series there,” he said.

Talking about the Sri Lanka tour, Dhoni reckoned it would not be easy to beat the islanders at home. “The conditions there would suit them and it’s not only Mendis, but (Muttiah) Muralitharan as well there. Besides, their part-timers also do well at home.”

When asked about about India’s dismal record of losing 18 out of 22 finals, Dhoni said, “It’s surely disappointing but still the fact that we made to 22 finals is a positive, because not every team manages to do that. But surely it would be great to win some more in the future.”

Tags: ajantha mendis, Asia Cup 2008, India, MS Dhoni, sri lanka