Mendis bemused the Australian batsman to finish with six for 16 off four overs, including a maiden. He is the first bowler to take six wickets in the shortest form of the game.
Australia did well to contain Sri Lanka to a total of 157-9 but were restricted themselves to 149-9 after Shane Watson had got them off to a flying start with 57 off 24 balls including five sixes and six fours.
Watson and David Warner (16) put on 71 for the first wicket before an inspired piece of fielding by Angelo Mathews on the boundary line to dismiss Warner started a sensational Australian collapse.
Mathews took the catch and, before stepping over the boundary, threw the ball to Mahela Jayawardene 30 metres away to give Mendis the first of his six wickets. Sri Lanka's innings was held together by a superb knock of 86 off 64 balls with one six and 12 fours by Jayawardene.
Score Board
SRI LANKA
Jayawardene c Hussey b Lee 86
Dilshan lbw Lee 4
Chandimal c and b Smith 13
T Perera c Watson b Johnson 9
Sangakkara c White b Hastings 24
J Mendis b Hastings 1
A Mathews b Hastings 5
D Perera c Smith b O'Keefe 0
Kulasekara b Lee 4
Herath (not out) 1
A Mendis (not out) 0
Extras (LB-2, NB-1, W-7) 10
Total (for 9 wkts, 20 overs) 157
Fall of wickets: 1-23, 2-66, 3-75, 4-121, 5-123, 6-131, 7-137, 8-150, 9-152
Bowling: Lee 4-0-39-3, O'Keefe 4-0-33-1, Johnson 4-0-35-1, Smith 3-0-27-1, Hussey 1-0-7-0, Hastings 4-0-14-3
AUSTRALIA
Watson c T Perera b A Mendis 57
Warner c J’dene b A Mendis 16
D Hussey b Herath 2
Marsh st Sangakkara b A Mendis 0
White b T Perera 39
Smith b A Mendis 12
Haddin b A Mendis 0
Johnson b A Mendis 7
O'Keefe (run out) 1
Hastings (not out) 3
Lee (not out) 4
Extras (B-4, LB-2, NB-1, W-1) 8
Total: (for 9 wkts, 20 overs) 149
Fall of wickets: 1-71, 2-73, 3-73, 4-75, 5-113, 6-113, 7-129, 8-131, 9-144
Bowling: Kulasekara 3-0-26-0, T Perera 2-0-21-1, D Perera 3-0-26-0, Herath 4-0-31-1, A Mendis 4-1-16-6, J Mendis 4-0-23-0.
Deccan Herald is on WhatsApp Channels| Join now for Breaking News & Editor's Picks