Vishwanath dispells Mendis' threat; advises to observe his wrist

New Delhi, Jul 21 (UNI) Brushing aside the hype around Sri Lanka's latest spin sensation Ajantha Mendis, former Test legend Gundappa Vishwanath said the bowler will become predictable once batsmen learn to observe his wrist movements.

''You've got to pick him (Mendis) up at the time of delivery.

Our batsmen need to observe Mendis's wrist and finger movements at the time of delivery...then he'll become easier to negotiate,'' Viswanath said on the sidelines of a Delhi District Cricket Association (DDCA) function here last night.

Speaking on the the controversial 'switch hit' tactic used by England batsman Kevin Pietersen, Viswanath said,''I won't advise the youngsters to switch hit but if somebody wishes to play the shot, and is doing it effectively, he's free to play. I'm not against it either.'' When asked about the ICC's referral system, the 59-year-old said the experiment will be good for the game.

''It's a nice initiative (by the ICC) and will make the game error-free. I am hopeful that it will take off during the India-Lanka series,'' he remarked.

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