New Delhi [India]: England’s experienced batter pinpointed the difference between off-spinners Ravichandran Ashwin and Australia’s Nathan Lyon ahead of the Indian spinner’s 100th Test game.
Ashwin and Lyon belong to the elite company of 500 Test wickets. Lyon is already a member of players who have featured in 100 Test matches while Ashwin will enter the club during India’s 5th Test match against England.
Ahead of the Test, Root opened up about the difference between the two spinners and stated that Ashwin is someone who aims to take wickets with his variation while Lyon adopts the policy of wearing out a batter and then claiming the opposition’s wicket.
“Ashwin is making sure that you don’t play the previous ball he is very good at dragging you across the crease and get your head one side to it try and beat both edges quite frequently with Lyon it is all about over spin, especially in the first half of the Test match. Looks to get really over the top of the ball get bounce, bowl in between like your knee rolling pad and hip and try to bring short leg and leg slip in the game as much as he can and then just slowly gets slower with his pace and drift wider. Whereas Ashwin is probably more slightly trying to find ways of getting you out rather than wearing you down like Lyon over the period of time,” Root said on Sky Sports podcast.
Ashwin in 99 Test appearances has bagged 507 wickets at an average of 23.9 and an economy of 2.79.
Ahead of the 37-year-old’s 100th Test, Root who played with Ashwin in last year’s Indian Premier League with Rajasthan Royals, hailed the veteran spinner for the number of variations he possesses in his arsenal which makes it hard for the batters to deal with him.
“Anyone that can take that many wickets regardless of how many of them are in home conditions to be able to be that skilful and to offer a very different skillset to a lot of off-spinners as well. He uses the crease very differently to how your traditional off-spinner might He bowls over spin, side spin can get really tight into the stumps can use the crease and get wider has carom balls and lots of different tricks. So you have to be really weary of all the different threats that he poses and make sure you have got really good skills to combat that and try to get on top of him. Had some really good battles with him over a long period of time now. But also got to see him close in the IPL with Rajasthan (Royals) last year as well and he is very clear on how he wants to get better and make sure he gets all the stuff done he needs to be ready and you can see why he’s been as successful as he has been,” Root added.
India will face England in the final Test of the five-match series on Thursday at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium (HPCA), Dharamshala. India have an unassailable 3-1 lead following their five-wicket win in Ranchi.
