*all numbers updated until the Brisbane Test

R Ashwin and Nathan Lyon stand as two of the finest off-spinners of the game, their craft honed across contrasting landscapes and converging at the pinnacle of cricketing excellence. While Ashwin’s wizardry flourishes on the spinner-friendly tracks Indian tracks, weaving intricate spells with guile and control, Lyon’s resilience shines on the hard, bouncy tracks of Australia, where his overspin and unerring accuracy have earned him the nickname “the GOAT”.

The debate over the greatest off-spinner of all time often returns to the two names in contemporary cricket. However, settling the debate isn’t as simple as comparing stats and milestones head-to-head. It requires an evaluation of the other contenders who have graced this art across eras as well.

Muttiah Muralidaran, with an astonishing 800 Test wickets, is an automatic entrant into discussions of greatness. Yet, his extraordinary numbers often come with an asterisk. Critics argue that his bowling action, heavily reliant on his wrist, pushes him into a category distinct from a conventional off-spinner. The doubts persist in the minds of some purists, leading to arguments that his style was more akin to a wrist-spinner than a traditional off-spinner.

Harbhajan Singh is the only other off-spinner to breach the 400-wicket mark in Tests. Known for his aggression, he had a golden phase in the early 2000s, highlighted by his historic performance in the 2000-01 Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Harbhajan’s career, though illustrious, was marked by inconsistency, which saw him average over 40 with the ball in eight of the 16 years that he played.

Beyond these giants, the pool of candidates thins. Players such as Jim Laker, EAS Prasanna, Saqlain Mushtaq, Graeme Swann have left their marks, but their impact pales when viewed alongside the longevity of Ashwin and Lyon. The two modern masters have raised the bar, reducing the battle of the best orthodox off-spinner between the two.

Ashwin vs Lyon: Embarking on a journey of greatness together

The two players made their debuts within two months of each other, with Lyon debuting in September 2011, followed by Ashwin. Both left their marks immediately, the former taking a wicket with his first ball and picking up a five-for in his very first innings at Galle and the latter ending his debut game with nine wickets, including a six-for, against the West Indies.

On first glance, Ashwin’s career seems to have taken off more dramatically as compared to Lyon, who has played 26 Tests more than his Indian counterpart. Ashwin’s best year on the circuit was in 2021, when he averaged 16.64, picking up 54 wickets in nine Tests. He averaged better than his career average of 24 in six different calendar years, including below 20 thrice. His last year, 2024, was his second-worst in a decade, with an average of 27.25, and it was no surprise that he decided to walk away. But the fact that it came after a splendid 2023, when he averaged 17.02, his second-best ever, suggests Ashwin was ready to step away at the slightest hint of a decline.

Lyon, on the other hand, is having one of his best years in Test cricket currently, averaging 22 this year, and picking up 28 wickets in 14 innings. After averaging 32.31 between 2018 and 2021, his average has improved to 25.86 over the last three years, with a strike rate of 55.1. It is interesting to note the contrast here, with one of Ashwin’s worst years coinciding with one of Lyon’s best.

Performance in different conditions: Not as straightforward

Due to obvious reasons, there will be a stark difference in the home and away averages of both spinners. Ashwin grew up and flourished in conditions which offered significant assistance, while Lyon had to work his way around the wickets that were being produced in Australia to excel at what he does.

Ashwin also loved taking on the responsibility with the new ball. His average as a new-ball bowler was 19.28, which dipped to 25.75 when he was the first-change, or 29.41 when he came in as the fifth bowler in an innings. It resulted in Ashwin dismissing plenty of top-order batters, including sending back David Warner 11 times and Steve Smith eight times, followed by Joe Root (seven).

Lyon differs in this regard. Over a larger sample size, he averaged his best as the fifth bowler, at 27.57, when the quicks had done the damage. Among the 16 batters he dismissed at least seven times, seven batted in the top order. For example, Kohli averages 80.7 against Lyon but has been dismissed seven times, suggesting that while Lyon got the wickets, he has had to toil harder for them.

Despite their apparent differences, what holds true is that both players undoubtedly etched their names among the greatest spinners with historic feats and records. While Ashwin’s brilliance often shone through with individual accolades, including an unmatched 11 Player-of-the-Series awards, Lyon embodied consistency in a fast-bowling-oriented culture. Both bowlers spun their webs around some of the best batters of their generation, with Ashwin, in particular, being lethal against the left-handers, averaging 19.9 against them.

Bowling averages as the match progressed

Ashwin generally thrived in the fourth innings of a Test – a common trait among Indian spinners – averaging 19.12 as against the third innings of a game where his average read 22.69. Lyon, in contrast, averaged eerily similar in the last innings of a Test – 27.13 in the third and 27.31 in the fourth.

This fact has often worked against Ashwin, with his biggest successess coming when the wickets had more purchase for the slower bowlers. However, there is nothing wrong in maximising the home advantage according to the team's strengths. Several pacers have also entered the all-time greats club after largely performing in conditions that have aided them, and it simply shows how dominant Ashwin was season-after-season.

For now, comparisons between the two will be inevitable, given their similar timelines and immense contributions. However, they thrived in vastly different environments and fulfilled contrasting roles for their teams.

While Ashwin and Lyon have taken the art to new heights in modern cricket, their greatness doesn’t diminish the contributions of those who paved the way. Instead, their success builds on a foundation laid by legends who redefined what off-spin bowling could achieve. As far as Ashwin vs Lyon goes, it is a topic that will be much discussed, but this is also the moment we celebrate them.

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