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Cricket Players'Watched a lot of footage of Ashwin on laptop, driving my wife mad': Australia cricketer's obsession with India spinner
Ravichandran Ashwin is on the minds of every Australian cricketer as the Aussies, trailing 0-1, hope to win their first Test series on Indian soil since 2004.
In terms of statistics, Ravichandran Ashwin is India's second-greatest Test bowler of all time. With 457 wickets, Ashwin is the country's second-highest wicket-taker in Tests, and with each match, his string of records only continue ton grow. Against Australia in the series opener of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Nagpur, Ashwin grabbed the 31st five-wicket-haul of his Test career to finish with 5/37 as the wily off-spinner spun India to an innings victory. This was just another feather in his cap as Ashwin matched Anil Kumble's record of five-fors and shattered Harbhajan Singh's.
Ashwin was always on the mind of the Australians, not just batters but even bowlers. Nathan Lyon, the only contemporary to Ashwin in terms of modern-day spin greats, has often been compared to the India great with comparisons between the two often doing the rounds. Often there have been heated debates and discussions as to who among the two will touch either Shane Warne or Muttiah Muralitharan's record of Test wickets, and while it may be a bridge too far to cross for Ashwin and Lyon at this stage, they are the most likely options to reach the pinnacle. Speaking to Star Sports, Lyon spoke highly of Ashwin, revealing that he did a deep study of the India spinner before landing in the country, something he considers an integral part of his learning process.
"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 himself. To be honest, I am a totally different bowler to Ash. Have I have sat down and watched a lot of footage of Ashwin before coming over here? Yes, a 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 Australia off-spinner, who with 461 scalps is four ahead of Ashwin in the wicket tally expressed how the 36-year-old has not shied away from sharing tips or giving valuable inputs at both home and away. One trait that gives Ashwin edge over Lyon is his bag full of tricks, and Lyon acknowledges this fact while admitting that he doesn't mind picking a few things himself.
"There's a lot of talk. 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's a couple of skillsets that Ash has which 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.
