3 spinners who are as good as Ravichandran Ashwin

#2 Nathan Lyon

Nathan Lyon has succeeded in the most difficult of countries for finger spinners - Australia

Lyon is way behind Ashwin as far as plain stats are concerned – 293 wickets in 75 Tests with an average of 31.78 and strike rate of 62.1. However, while assessing Lyon, one has to remember certain handicaps he has compared to the likes of Ashwin and Herath.

While the Asian spinners play most of their cricket on helpful wickets, Lyon plies his trade usually on Australian pitches – the most unforgiving for finger spinners.

History tells us that among off-spinners, only the greatest have been able to achieve success in Australian conditions (eg. Erapalli Prasanna, Lance Gibbs etc.) while even modern-day greats like Muralitharan and Harbhajan Singh failed to make a mark there.

So, for an off-spinner to last as long as Lyon has in the Australian side and achieve this much success is no mean achievement.

One only needs to look at Lyon’s far superior stats on these pitches compared to other spinners in recent times to appreciate the level of success he has achieved. ‘Gary’ averages 33.74 with a strike rate of 66.5 at home while Ashwin’s corresponding numbers in Australia are 54.71 and 97 respectively. Herath’s numbers are better in the land down under (average of 33.91 and strike rate of 67.3) but are based on just three matches.

While Lyon has not always run through the opposition on Asian wickets, it is also due in large part to the fact that home batsmen that he is bowling to in these countries are far superior players of spin bowling – unlike the Aussies of recent times who have looked hopeless against the turning ball.

But even in Asia, he has, of late, registered some very impressive performances and the numbers are only getting better.

On top of that, Lyon usually has to share the wickets with fast bowlers in his team who are far more lethal on Australian wickets. This is where the Asian spinners have a big advantage over him as they are the main strike bowlers in their teams.

Overall, Lyon's average of 31.78 and strike rate of 62.1 isn't too far from the numbers that Herath and Ashwin have generated is quite exceptional considering that the odds are against him. So, he too has a strong claim to being an equal of Ashwin if not better.