Every era in cricketing history has seen the emergence of great spin wizards. Whether it be India’s Bishen Singh Bedi or Pakistan’s Saqlain Mushtaq, the spin has mystified and entertained its audience without fail.
Over the years, the world has witnessed the battle for the ‘King of the Spin’ like the one between Shane Warne and Muttiah Muralitharan in the 90s. There is almost similar hype around one such battle currently going on: Nathan Lyon and Ravichandran Ashwin. So let’s look at how the fight between these two modern-day legends has been.
Home-Away Performances
Both the bowlers have solid numbers to back their stature in every department. Let’s look at their home and away numbers till now.
Both have over a 100 wickets in home and away conditions, proving their usefulness all over. However, while Ashwin has been highly effective at home, with 300 wickets at an average of 21.40, he has struggled in away conditions. With 123 wickets at an average of 31.18, the difference in his numbers must be itching him.
For Lyon, contrasting to his counterpart, his away numbers have fared better than his home numbers. With 184 wickets in away conditions at 29.42, Lyon has been the ace for Australia in Asian conditions. But one thing which he will have to address is his numbers in home conditions, especially his bowling average of 32.87 and strike rate of 66.9.
Even though his bowling average is high overseas compared to home, Ashwin has a better bowling average and strike rate than Lyon’s numbers at home. Also, one thing to note is that Lyon has been more expensive and has taken more balls to produce wickets. A clear win for Ashwin there.
Continent-wise Performances
Some fans have argued that Lyon’s home conditions are not ideal for a spin and hence the difference in the home numbers. So, let’s dive more into the stats by checking their continent-wise performances.
Ashwin’s best numbers have come in Asia and America (the West Indies), where his strike rate has stayed below 50 – 46.7 and 46.2, respectively. Asian conditions have been a goldmine for him, with his best bowling average coming there at 21.39. But, on the other hand, it looks like Ashwin’s effectiveness has soured quite a lot in different continents.
Ashwin’s bowling average in Africa and Oceania (Australia) is above 40, as opposed to his performance in other continents, where it has not even crossed 30. In the upcoming South Africa tour, he will surely want to improve his numbers there (A staggering 101.5 strike rate in Africa!).
When looking at Lyon’s performances continent-wise, it has been in the middle, unlike Ashwin’s disproportionate numbers. Lyon has nearly maintained his consistency, with the bowling average not crossing the 40-bench mark, but the bowling strike rate is above 50. The fact that he has a five-fer in every continent testifies to his gritty spirit to give fruitful performances.
Moving Forward
Starting their Test career in 2011 and now with Lyon’s 400th wicket coming in the first match of this year’s Ashes, they have become the only two current spinners with 400+ wickets. The careers have come full circle for both these stalwarts. The age might have started showing its effect, but the fans just want more from them, and we are sure these two will spin more magical moments.