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Sanjay Manjrekar doesn't approve of Ravichandran Ashwin being termed as a 'real all-time great'. He claimed that the off-spinner doesn't have the numbers to show in SENA countries - South Africa, England, New Zealand and Australia - and has failed to match his teammates in 'running through' sides in Indian conditions.
The cricketer-turned-commentator explained that Ravindra Jadeja has often matched Ravichandran Ashwin in terms of wickets in India.
He cited the example of India's home Test series against England, in which debutant Axar Patel scalped 27 wickets from three Tests following Ravichandran Ashwin's 32 in four games.
Speaking to ESPNcricinfo on Saturday, Sanjay Manjrekar said:
"When people start talking about him as being one of the all-time greats of the game then I have a few problems. One basic problem I have with Ashwin is that when you look at SENA countries, Ashwin doesn't have a single five-wicket haul there. And the other thing when you talk about him running through sides on Indian pitches that are suited to his kind of bowling is that in the last four years, Jadeja has matched him with wicket-taking abilities. Then, interestingly, in the last series against England, Axar Patel got more wickets than Ashwin on similar pitches. So that is my problem with accepting Ashwin as a real all-time great."
Currently ranked 2nd in the ICC Test rankings for bowlers, Ravichandran Ashwin has played 78 Tests, picking up 409 wickets at a staggering average of 24.69. The 34-year-old is just 26 snares shy of becoming India's second-highest and the world's ninth-highest wicket-taker.
Ian Chappell refutes Sanjay Manjrekar's claim on Ravichandran Ashwin
In the same interaction, Australian great Ian Chappell cited West Indian legend Joel Garner to refute Sanjay Manjrekar's claims. Chappell argued that Garner's fewer five-wicket hauls also belied his impact because his teammates were equally potent in picking wickets.
On the England series, he said Patel was more successful because the visiting batsmen kept their focus on Ravichandran Ashwin.
"I would like to make a couple of points there -- if you look at Joel Garner, I mean how many five-wicket hauls Joel Garner has? Not many, when you consider how good he was and his record. And why, because he was performing with three other very, very fine players. And I think, particularly of late, I find that the Indian attack has been so strong that the wickets are being shared around more. And the other point I would make is because of Ashwin's reputation I think the England players probably concentrated more on keeping Ashwin out and with Axar Patel, well, let's be blunt about it, they didn't have a bloody clue."
Chappell even went on to suggest that Ravichandran Ashwin is better than Australian Nathan Lyon, who is really ineffective against right-handers.
"I think Ashwin is a better bowler than Nathan Lyon. Have a look at Nathan Lyon's strike rate, you are in the 70s and I am going back to 2018. Nathan Lyon, to me, I think runs get scored through the onside when he is bowling to the right-handers and that really just shouldn't happen. Yes, he is a fine bowler but I think Ashwin is a better bowler."
Ravichandran Ashwin will return to action in the World Test Championship final against New Zealand on June 18. A match-winning spell in the summit clash could perhaps see the cricketer rise in the estimation of many – even to the level of being called a modern great.
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