Legendary spinner Shane Warne has backed fellow countryman Nathan Lyon and India’s Ravi Ashwin to pick up 1000 wickets in their respective careers. Both the off-spinners have been stalwarts in international cricket, especially Tests. But they have been in and out of the limited-overs teams at the highest level.
Warne, Australia’s leading Test wicket-taker, reckoned that the off-spinning duo has the potential to surpass him and Sri Lanka’s Muttiah Muralitharan as Test cricket’s top wicket-takers. The spin wizard reckoned that quality spin-bowling adds value to a team.
Shane Warne has his say on Ashwin and Lyon
“I hope both Ashwin and Lyon do, because the more we see quality spin bowlers bowling, it makes for more interesting cricket. I think when you watch a pace bowler bowl real fast and a batter trying to take them on and then you see a really good spinner and that battle between him and a spinner,” Warne said.
Ashwin is currently third in the list of leading wicket-takers in Test cricket in India after Anil Kumble and 1983 World Cup winning skipper Kapil Dev. With 430 wickets in his kitty from 84 Tests, the 35-year-old Ashwin is only four wickets short of Dev’s tally of 430 scalps.
Recently, he made his comeback in limited-overs cricket during the T20 World Cup 2021 in Oman and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The tweaker showed his utility with the ball, although the Men in Blue failed to go beyond the Super 12 after losses to Pakistan and New Zealand.
Lyon, on the other hand, is Australia’s second most successful bowler in Test cricket after Warne. In 105 Tests, Lyon has picked up 415 wickets with 18 five-wicket hauls and three 10-wicket hauls. For now it remains to be seen if Ashwin and Lyon get past Warne and Murali.
Warne also shared his views on the spin duo of Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal. The tweakers haven’t played for India regularly over the last few months, after once being genuine wicket-takers for them.
Warne said that while Kuldeep and Chahal haven’t deteriorated by any means, it’s Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja, who have both upped their game to a large extent. In his Test career, Warne picked up 708 wickets from 145 matches.
