In a revealing discussion, England's Joe Root delved into the contrasting challenges posed by spinners Ravichandran Ashwin of India and Nathan Lyon of Australia, particularly as his team prepares for the final Test against India. Both Ashwin and Lyon have recently joined the elite 500-wicket club in Test cricket, underscoring their prowess and the significance of Root's insights.
Ashwin and Lyon are all-time greats
Ashwin, who showcased his form with a five-wicket haul in the Ranchi Test, and Lyon, who impressed with 10 wickets in the first Test against New Zealand, have been instrumental for their respective teams. Root, having encountered these spinners on numerous occasions, shared his experiences and strategies for facing them.
According to Root, Ashwin excels in manipulating the batter's position to create opportunities for dismissal, often by "beating the edges." This tactic, as Root explains, is indicative of Ashwin's aggressive approach to taking wickets, constantly seeking methods to outwit the batter.
"I'd say, Ashwin is making sure that you don't play the previous ball. He is very good at trying to drag you across the crease and get your head to one side of it and beat both edges quite frequently," Ashwin said on the Sky Sports podcast.
There are differences between Ashwin and Lyon's patterns
On the other hand, Root explain that Lyon's strategy, especially in the early stages of a match, involves gaining a height advantage on the ball. This technique allows Lyon to challenge the batter differently, focusing on establishing dominance from the outset.
"With Lyon it is all about, I think, especially in the first half of the Test match to get really over the top of the ball, get bounce bowl in between you like the knee roll and hit and try to bring short leg and leg slip into the game as much as he can and then just slowly, get slower with his pace and drift wider into that. There's that footmarks, um, Mitchell Starc has so kindly done for him for such a long period of time." said Root.
Root sheds light on one major difference
Root further emphasised that while Lyon aims to exert pressure and dominate early on, Ashwin's primary goal is to ingeniously find ways to secure the batter's wicket, rather than gradually wearing them down.
"Whereas Ashwin is probably slightly trying to find ways of getting you out rather than trying to wear you down, over long periods of time. That's how I've always tried to approach them. Be trying, trying to be clear, right, because that's how they're generally gonna operate," said Root.
This distinction between the two spinners' approaches offers a fascinating insight into the tactical nuances of Test cricket and the meticulous preparation required by batters to counter such world-class bowling talents.
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