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Cricket Players'He is more difficult to face because of accuracy, pace variation': Gambhir makes massive Ashwin vs Harbhajan statement
Ashwin recently surpassed the legendary Kapil Dev to enter the top-10 wicket-takers list in Tests
Comparisons have been inevitable in cricket. Players of similar styles, similar batting positions or similar records have all been subject to comparisons with one another or with a legend of the game. Veteran Indian off-spinner Ravinchandran Ashwin has often been compared to former Indian cricketer Harbhajan Singh - same bowling variety and both have over 400 wickets in Tests. And India great Gautam Gambhir shared his opinion on the debate picking the more difficult off-spinner to face.
Speaking to Star Sports after India's innings and 222-run win against Sri Lanka in Mohali, where Ashwin had surpassed the legendary Kapil Dev to enter the top-10 wicket-takers list in Tests, Gambhir opined that as a batter he always felt that Ashwin would have been the more difficult bowler to face.
He hailed Ashwin's accuracy and ability to vary pace in deciding the better off-spinner although he admitted that Harbhajan was more beautiful to watch when bowling given his ability to dish out the doosra and get the ball to dip.
“As a batter, I would hate to face Ravichandran Ashwin, but I would love to watch Harbhajan Singh. This means, that as a left-hander, I would always feel that Ashwin could dismiss me, but as an analyst, then Harabhajan...he had that bounce, that doosra and could dip the ball. And Ashwin, for a left-hander or any other batter, he is much more difficult to face because he is far more accurate and difficult because of his speed variations. Harbhajan Singh was more beautiful to watch,” he said.
Earlier in November, during the home Test series against New Zealand, Ashwin had surpassed Harbhajan to become India's third-highest wicket-taker. Three months later, he pipped Kapil's tally of 434 wickets to take the second spot, now only standing behind Anil Kumble's tally of 619 wickets.
Overall, Ashwin stands ninth in the all-time list, fourth among spinners and second among off-spinners.
