IND v AUS 2020: 'Lyon only troubled batsmen; R Ashwin took wickets as well' - Ajay Jadeja

Former Indian captain Ajay Jadeja has opined that R Ashwin has outbowled Nathan Lyon in the first Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy as he has been a bigger wicket-taking threat.

Jadeja and Sanjay Manjrekar lauded the Indian off-spinner for his penetrative spell while reviewing the second day's play on the Sony Sports network.

Ajay Jadeja highlighted R Ashwin has always been a potent threat at the start of an overseas Test series.

"He is an amazing bowler, there is no doubt about that. And especially when he goes overseas, then in the first Test match and the first innings in that the way the ball leaves his hand, he has troubled the batsmen every time."

He added R Ashwin outperformed his Aussie counterpart Nathan Lyon, as the former broke the backbone of the opposition batting lineup while the latter only managed to take a solitary wicket.

"He went one step further from Nathan Lyon today, the way the latter had bowled against the Indian batsmen and troubled them. Lyon only troubled the batsmen but Ashwin took the wickets as well."

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Sanjay Manjrekar believes R Ashwin should have bowled more overs

R Ashwin bowled 18 overs in Australia's first innings

While concurring with Jadeja, Sanjay Manjrekar questioned why R Ashwin bowled the least number of overs among all Indian bowlers at a stage when he was the most potent of the lot.

"Ajay said absolutely the correct thing because Nathan Lyon took just the one wicket but bowled the same number of overs the fast bowlers in their team bowled. Ashwin got more bowling towards the end but there was a time when he was the highest wicket-taker, he had taken three wickets and he had bowled the least."

The former Indian batsman observed it is a common occurrence with R Ashwin that he is not bowled enough even when he looks the most threatening amongst the bowlers.

"And I feel that was a mistake and it often happens with Ashwin that he takes wickets, it seems that he is the bowler who is creating the danger but he bowls the least overs."

Manjrekar signed off by stating that it is beyond him why R Ashwin bowled fewer overs than Mohammed Shami and Umesh Yadav at one stage of the day. He reasoned the lanky spinner dismissed Steve Smith in the very first over of his spell.

"I don't think that Mohammed Shami and Umesh Yadav, leave Bumrah, should have got more overs than Ashwin today. And this guy had created the pressure from the first over itself, he got his first wicket in his 1st or 2nd over. So, just let me understand that at that time, why Ashwin had bowled the least."

Ashwin takes a huge wicket of Smith. Australia are 45/3. pic.twitter.com/jhMfuQPpI5

— Facts and News (@newsndfacts) December 18, 2020

R Ashwin ended up bowling 18 overs in Australia's first innings, second only to Jasprit Bumrah. Virat Kohli removed him from the attack after just one over in the final session, and he had picked up three wickets by then. It could have been because the Indian captain expected more help for the seamers under the lights.

Ashwin (in Press) said "I was so happy that we are playing Test cricket again, I being extremely mad about the game, done lots of work during lockdown so it was good to go and bowl. Smith wicket was big, the way he bats and I enjoyed it a lot".

— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) December 18, 2020