Salman Butt weighs in on Ravichandran Ashwin vs Nathan Lyon debate: Ashwin has the edge for me

Former Pakistan captain Salman Butt is the latest to put his weight behind Ravichandran Ashwin in comparison with Nathan Lyon, rating the Indian off-spinner higher than the Australian tweaker.

Butt agreed with former Australia captain Ian Chappell, who feels Ashwin is better than Lyon, and gave some of his own points of view in the matter.

Lyon is 1 short of 400 wickets from 100 Tests while Ashwin already has 409 scalps from just 78 Tests and is also the highest wicket-taker in international cricket (all 3 formats combined) since his debut in 2010.

“I agree with him. If you compare the two, both have a great line and length. But when it comes to variations, Ravichandran Ashwin is better. If you have to pick one and look at their utilities I will pick Ashwin. He bats, plays in all three formats and always does well.

“Even his action is a little hard to pick, while Nathan Lyon’s action is basic. I wouldn’t say there is a huge difference between the two, but Ashwin has the edge for me,” Butt said on his YouTube channel.

“Ashwin uses angles and the crease well, and uses his fingers like Ajantha Mendis. He has been a top performer in all three formats of the game. Ravichandran Ashwin has done well in the IPL too, and there is a stark difference between Nathan Lyon and Ravichandran Ashwin.

“I have to agree with Chappell. Nathan Lyon is a wonderful bowler as well. But if you compare the two, if I was the captain, I would pick Ashwin. He bats as well,” Butt added.

CHAPPELL VS MANJREKAR

Ashwin has been in the news recently thanks to former India batsman Sanjay Manjrekar, who recently said that he wouldn’t rate the Tamil Nadu cricketer as one of the all-time greats of the game due to his lack of success in SENA countries.

“When people start talking about him as being one of the all-time greats of the game then I have a few problems. One basic problem I have with Ashwin is that when you look at SENA countries, Ashwin doesn’t have a single five-wicket haul there,” Manjrekar said.

But Chappell disagreed with Manjrekar, and even picked Ashwin in his list of the top-five current bowlers in Test cricket.

“I think Ashwin is a better bowler than Nathan Lyon. Have a look at Nathan Lyon’s strike rate, you are in the 70s and I am going back to 2018.

“Nathan Lyon, to me, I think runs get scored through the onside when he is bowling to the right-handers and that really just shouldn’t happen. Yes, he is a fine bowler but I think Ashwin is a better bowler,” Chappell said while replying to Manjrekar.