Ravichandran Ashwin is India’s second-best Test bowler of all time based on statistics. With 457 wickets, Ashwin is the second-highest wicket-taker in the nation in Tests, and with each game, his list of accomplishments just gets longer. In Nagpur’s Border-Gavaskar Trophy series opener against Australia, Ashwin picked up the 31st five-wicket haul of his Test career to conclude with 5/37 as the cunning off-spinner guided India to an innings triumph. As Ashwin matched Anil Kumble’s record of five-fours and broke Harbhajan Singh’s, this was just another achievement for him.
The Australians were always thinking about Ashwin, not just the hitters but also the bowlers. The only other contemporary to Ashwin among the top spinners of today, Nathan Lyon, has frequently been contrasted with the legendary Indian spinner. The question of who of the two will surpass Shane Warne or Muttiah Muralitharan’s record of Test wickets has frequently been the subject of spirited debate. While Ashwin and Lyon are the most likely candidates to succeed at this point, it may be a bridge too far for them to cross. Lyon praised Ashwin in an interview with Star Sports, adding that he thoroughly researched the India spinner before moving there.
“I’m not going to pin myself against Ash. I think the way Ashwin has gone about it has been remarkable and his record speaks for itself. To be honest, I am a totally different bowler from Ash. Have I sat down and watched a lot of footage of Ashwin before coming over here? Yes, 100 percent. I’ve spent a lot of time sitting at home in front of the laptop, driving my wife mad. It’s all about learning. The best thing about this game is that we are constantly learning, trying to grow and get better by watching your opposition and that’s one of the biggest learning curves,” Lyon said.
The Australian off-spinner, who has four more wickets than Ashwin (461 to 461), described how the 36-year-old hasn’t been afraid to offer advice or important input both at home and overseas. Lyon concedes that Ashwin has an advantage over him due to his extensive toolkit, but he also admits that he doesn’t mind choosing a few things for himself. “There’s a lot of talks. Lots he has taught me about. Sitting down and speaking to him, there’s been a lot that he’s taught me and that’s just not for here but even in Australia. There are a couple of skill sets that Ash has that I would like to develop. That’s why I feel like I can still get better. So that’s what’s driving me,” he said.