Former Sri Lanka great rates India star Ravichandran Ashwin the best of the modern-day slow bowlers.
Just days after breaking Dennis Lillee’s longstanding record as the fastest bowler to 300 Test wickets, star India allrounder Ravichandran Ashwin has been anointed as the leading spinner in the world by one of the finest exponents of the craft.
Sri Lanka great Muttiah Muralidaran, who collected a world record 800 wickets from 133 Tests in a decorated career, rates off-spinner Ashwin the best slow bowler on the planet.
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The 31-year-old has 52 wickets at 25.55 apiece from 10 Tests in 2017, equal with Sri Lanka veteran Rangana Herath, who has played 11 matches.
Australia’s Nathan Lyon has collected 51 wickets from eight Tests this year at 22.64, including five five-wicket hauls, while India’s Ravindra Jadeja has 49 from nine Tests.
“I want to congratulate Ashwin. It’s a big achievement as getting 300 Test wickets is not an easy job. Definitely, he is the best spinner in the world at the moment,” Muralidaran told the Press Trust of India.
“He is not in the ODI team, but hopefully he will return and do wonders in the shorter formats also.”
Ashwin reached the 300-wicket mark on Monday as India hammered Sri Lanka by an innings and 239 runs, equalling their biggest winning margin in a Test match.
He grabbed 4-63 in the second innings, reaching 300 wickets in 54 Tests, while Lillee took 56 Tests to achieve the feat 36 years earlier.
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Ashwin is fourth on the ICC Test bowling rankings, behind England’s James Anderson, Jadeja and South Africa’s Kagiso Rabada.
Since the start of 2015, Ashwin has netted 186 wickets from 31 Tests at an incredible average of six per match.
He has 17 five-wicket hauls during that period and boasts an average of 22.13 to sit well clear of Herath (146 from 30 games), Lyon (140 from 32) and Pakistan leggie Yasir Shah (138 from 23).
Given Ashwin’s ability and age, he could shatter more records in coming years, with Muralidaran the fastest to 400, 500, 600, 700 and 800 Test wickets.
“He is hardly 31, 32 years old and can play for another four-five years at least. But it will also depend on how he performs and remains injury free. Only time will tell as it will be very hard for him after 35,” Muralidaran said.
During the first Magellan Ashes Test at the Gabba, former Australia leg-spinner Stuart MacGill declared Lyon the world’s best due to his ability to perform in his home country, where visiting slow bowlers have notoriously struggled.
Muralidaran, for example, averaged 75.41 from five Test fixtures in Australia, while his overall average was 22.72.
“I think Nathan is the best spinner in the world at the moment,” MacGill told News Corp.
“I know the stats of someone like Ravi Ashwin might suggest otherwise, but Nathan is the only spinner in the world that does exceptionally well in Australia and away from home.
“That’s just good attacking spin bowling.
“(Backing him) is the kind of approach Australia needed to take. In Australia we’ve got wickets where you can’t wait as long for the other team to make mistakes. You’ve got to tactically and skilfully make inroads yourself.”
