Sri Lankan captain Mahela Jayawardene says Indian off-spinner Ravi Ashwin’s controversial “Mankad” dismissal of Lahiru Thirimanne in Brisbane flouted the spirit of the game. Thirimanne survived the dismissal during his innings of 62 in Sri Lanka’s 51-run one-day international win over India at the Gabba on Tuesday, but only after the Indians decided to withdraw their appeal. A Mankad is where the bowler whips off the bails at the non-striker’s end instead of releasing the ball. Ashwin legitimately did this when Thirimanne, who was on 44 at the time, left his crease too early. But after umpires Paul Reiffel and Billy Bowden talked to India’s stand-in skipper Virender Sehwag and veteran Sachin Tendulkar, the Indians decided to give Thirimanne a reprieve. Jayawardene conceded that Thirimanne had strayed from the crease but said Ashwin’s decision to Mankad him was wrong. “I probably felt there was a little bit of fault in our guy to be honest, but I think in the spirit of the game Sehwag did the right thing (withdrawing the appeal),” Jayawardene said.
