Monty Panesar makes controversial claim regarding 38-year-old R Ashwin: Details
What's the story
Former England spinner, Monty Panesar, has sparked a debate about Indian all-rounder Ravichandran Ashwin's potential role in English cricket. Despite Ashwin's impressive performance in the red-ball format, Panesar believes that the 38-year-old would not find a place in England's current Test Cricket team. He attributes this to England's preference for experimentation and nurturing young talent. Here are further details.
Player comparison
Panesar compares Ashwin with Lyon
Panesar further compared Ashwin to Australian cricketer Nathan Lyon, stating that while Lyon is a superior bowler in Australia, Ashwin outshines him on Indian pitches. He praised Ashwin's ability to think like a batter while bowling and exploit weaknesses. This unique skill set has contributed significantly to his success in the sport, particularly in challenging conditions.
Career highlights
Ashwin's impressive record against England
Ashwin has consistently demonstrated his value in India's red-ball setup, recently scoring a crucial century and taking a six-fer against Bangladesh in the Chennai Test. His record against England is particularly noteworthy, with 114 wickets from 24 matches and 1,086 runs to his name. Among active cricketers, Ashwin is the second-highest wicket-taker in Tests with a total of 522 wickets under his belt. Lyon is ahead of him with 530 scalps.
Stats
Ashwin went past Walsh
Ahwin accomplished his 37th Test fifer in the Chennai match, matching Shane Warne's tally. In terms of Test fifers, he is now only behind Sri Lanka legend Muthiah Muralidaran (67). Ashwin has now raced to 522 scalps at an average of 23.7. As per ESPNcricinfo, he went past West Indies legend Courtney Walsh (519) to become the eighth-highest wicket-taker in this format.