Nathan Lyon vs Ravichandran Ashwin: Decoding their Test stats
What's the story
Off-spinners Nathan Lyon and Ravichandran Ashwin will spearhead the bowling attacks of Australia and India, respectively, in the Border-Gavaskar series, starting February 9.
With the valuable ICC World Test Championship points on offer, the duo will be banked heavily by their respective sides in a quest to come on top in the encounters.
Ahead of the same, we decode their stats in Test cricket.
Context
Why does this story matter?
Both Lyon and Ashwin are two champion performers in Test cricket. Lyon has been Australia's best spinner since the legendary Shane Warne.
Ashwin took over India's spin unit after Anil Kumble and Harbhajan Singh.
Notably, both made their Test debuts in 2011 and have led by example ever since. They will be raring to make their mark in the high-octane red-ball duels.
Ashwin
Ashwin's numbers against Australia in Tests
Ashwin has clipped 89 wickets in 18 matches against the Aussies at 31.48. At home, his numbers are a notch above against the Kangaroos.
The Chennai-born has claimed 50 wickets in eight matches, averaging 23.16 (5WI: 5).
Ashwin took 21 wickets in the last series against Australia at home in 2017. Notably, he picked 29 wickets in the 2013 series at 20.10.
Lyon
How has Lyon fared against India?
Lyon has taken 94 wickets in 22 matches against India. He averages 34.75, with seven fifers to his name.
In India, Lyon has snapped up 34 wickets in merely seven Tests at 30.58 (5WI: 3).
He took 15 wickets across three matches in 2013. He garnered 19 scalps in the 2017 series, averaging 25.26.
His best figures read 8/50, which he registered in 2017.
Performance
Lyon had plenty of success in Asia last year
Lyon has bagged 118 wickets in 24 Tests in Asia, averaging 32.38.
He took 12 wickets in the 2022 Pakistan tour, including match-winning figures of 5/83 in the third Test in Lahore.
Australia claimed a historic 1-0 series win in Pakistan.
Lyon took nine wickets (5/90 and 4/31) in the first of two-match series in Sri Lanka, which the Kangaroos won by 10 wickets.
Runs
Ashwin is ahead of Lyon with the bat
Ashwin has also proved his mettle with the bat too, scoring 3,043 runs at 27.41. He has slammed five tons and 13 fifties with the best score of 124.
Ashwin scored a clutch 42* in the second and final Test against Bangladesh last December, which India won by three wickets.
Meanwhile, Lyon has tallied 1,272 runs at 12.72, with the best score of 47.
WTC
Highest wicket-taker in ICC WTC 2021-23
Lyon tops the bowling charts in the ongoing ICC World Test Championship 2021-23 cycle.
The 35-year-old has affected 61 dismissals in 15 matches played so far. He averages 28.63 (5WI: 3). He ranks above English pacer James Anderson (58 wickets).
Meanwhile, Ashwin has aggregated 36 wickets in nine matches at 21.33. He is India's second-highest wicket-taker after seamer Jasprit Bumrah (45).
Career
Decoding their Test numbers
Ashwin has pocketed 449 wickets in 88 Tests. He averages 24.30 with the best figures of 7/59 (vs New Zealand). He has claimed 30 five-wicket hauls to date.
Lyon is the eighth-highest wicket-taker in the format with 460 scalps from 115 matches. He had the joint-most Test wickets in 2022 with Kagiso Rabada (47). He has picked 21 five wicket-hauls.