India’s Ravichandran Ashwin and Australia’s Nathan Lyon might be two fierce competitors on the field, but there remains mutual admiration between them that the cricket world is in awe of. Time and against Ravichandran Ashwin and Nathan Lyon have narrated how the two have pushed each other to scale greater heights in the longest format of the game. Ahead of the start of the Border Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25 series in Perth, Nathan Lyon has once again doffed his hat to Ashwin, who has been a kind of ‘coach’ for him.
Premier Australian spinner Nathan Lyon has credited his nemesis Ravichandran Ashwin for helping him learn a lot while battling with each other for more than a decade. The two off-spinners have locked horns year after year in the quest to help their team stamp the authority on each other.
Ravichandran Ashwin and Nathan Lyon performances in Test cricket
Ravichandran Ashwin and Nathan Lyon are two modern-day greats, and with the stage set for a lip-smacking Border-Gavaskar Trophy, world cricket cannot wait to watch how the battle of the spinner unveils. Ravichandran Ashwin, who has 536 Test wickets in 105 Tests, will go head-to-head with Nathan Lyon, who is just a shade behind and has 530 wickets from 129 matches. Although pitches in Australia have traditionally assisted pace more than spin, every time Ashwin and Nathan Lyon have the ball in their hands, history can take a walk.
The five-Test series between India and Australia will headline several key individual contests – Pat Cummins vs Virat Kohli, Mitchell Starc vs Rohit Sharma, and Jasprit Bumrah vs Travis Head. Ashwin vs Lyon may not be as blockbuster a rivalry, but it could very well determine the outcome of the series. The two have always marveled at not only their craft but shared mutual admiration towards what the other has achieved. The best off-spinner in the world debate is up for grabs. Who will take the bragging rights would be interesting.
Before getting into his comment, here are some numbers. Ashwin, 38, has taken 383 wickets out of 536 in India. When it comes to SENA countries, the off-spinner has taken a total of 71 wickets in 25 matches. The breakdown of these wickets is as follows – 39 wickets in Australia, 18 in England, 3 in New Zealand and 11 in South Africa.
Nathan Lyon, 36, has taken 259 wickets out of his 530 in Australia. In Asia, in particular, Nathan Lyon has scalped 140 wickets in 28 matches, and the breakdown is as follows: 22 in Bangladesh, 56 in India, 12 in Pakistan, 35 in Sri Lanka, and 15 in the UAE.
That being said, Ashwin has often warmed the bench overseas, with India preferring Ravindra Jadeja on account of him being a better batter. In Australia, Ashwin has taken 39 wickets in 10 matches, whereas in Indian conditions too, Nathan Lyon has scalped 56 Tests in 11 matches.
It was the 2011/12 series where Ashwin and Lyon had their first face-off and went on to become the legends of the game with over 500 Test wickets each. They will be up against each other for the eighth time this week with the same agenda of helping their team with the crucial wickets in the middle.
Not many visiting spinners have a good bowling record in Australian conditions, which tends to offer pace and bounce from the surface. However, Ashwin is surely an exception with decent numbers Down Under – 39 wickets in 10 Tests. The Australian spinner was all praise for Ashwin for his ability to adapt to conditions and always looking for new tricks to outclass the opposition batters.
Nathan Lyon praises Ravichandran Ashwin ahead of 2024/25 BGT
Australian off-spinner Nathan Lyon praised his Indian counterpart Ravichandran Ashwin and said he had learned a lot from Ashwin over the years ahead of the upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Nathan Lyon and Ashwin will likely reignite their friendly rivalry when India and Australia battle over five Tests down under from November 22.
Ashwin is seventh all-time in Test wickets with 536 scalps, while Nathan Lyon is breathing down his neck one spot behind with 530 wickets. Both off-spinners made their Test debut in 2011 and have since gone on to become all-time greats.
Speaking to Fox Cricket, Nathan Lyon was highly appreciative of Ashwin and his ability to quickly adapt to any and every condition.
“Ash is an incredible bowler. I’ve gone head-to-head with him for basically my whole career, so I’ve learned a lot from Ash. He’s an incredibly smart bowler, and he’s able to learn and adapt very quickly, and I think the best bowlers in the world are able to do that. He’s taught me a lot,” said Lyon.
He added:
“I’m a big believer that the players you compete against are your best coaches. I’ve watched a lot of his footage heading over to India, the way he goes about it here in Australia, and see if I can pick up anything.”
The duo have also enjoyed incredible success in India-Australia Tests over their respective careers. Nathan Lyon is the all-time leading wicket-taker in India-Australia Tests with 121 scalps in 27 outings, while Ashwin is second with 114 wickets in 22 matches.
“I feel like we’re on the journey to becoming a great team” – Nathan Lyon
Nathan Lyon felt the current Australian side is on their way to becoming a great team despite India getting the better of them over the past few match-ups.
The Asian side has won their previous four bilateral series against Australia, including two down under. However, the Aussies won the most recent meeting between the teams in the 2023 World Test Championship (WTC) final in England.
“India’s got the wood over us in the past few series, but if you’re looking at the World Test Championship (final) in England, we were able to beat them there, and I know that should give us a bit of confidence heading into this summer. I feel like we’re on the journey to becoming a great team. We’re not there yet, there’s a bit of work to do, but we have the opportunity to do something pretty special this summer,” said Lyon.
While Australia won their most recent Test series in New Zealand earlier this year, India are coming off a shocking 0-3 defeat to the Black Caps at home. Ashwin was India’s second-highest wicket-taker during the historic 2020-21 triumph on Australian soil. He picked 12 wickets in 3 Tests and outperformed Lyon, who played all four Tests and claimed 9 scalps.