bhaveshgor wrote:Like I said before Lyon stats are so misleading just like Ashwin or Sub C spinners outside asia are misleading.
having 3-4 quality pace bowlers makes a huge difference in Aus/NZ/Eng/sa
Anyway Lyon biggest weakness is probably that he isn't that great in taking wickets when it turns and I never really saw him being a wicket taking threat but he is good at keeping things tight and a holding bowler.
Both Lyon and Ashwin are good at home and poor away. Both have shown improvements in recent times that makes one feel they can now adapt away from home as well. Lyon did win a Test against BCCI at Adelaide on his own. And whilst having 3-4 quality pace bowlers alongside you makes a difference in Aus, having another quality spinner alongside you makes a huge difference in Asia as well. In each of Ashwin's series in India, he has had a partner alongside him doing equally well, if not better. Ojha, Jadeja and Mishra. Whenever Ashwin has played as the sole spinner i.e. overseas he has struggled. A team nearly chased down 450 odd on Day 5 against a team with Ashwin as the lead spinner. He failed against the only quality opposition he has played in Asia till now. So how is he any better than Lyon?
(By the way, I'm not saying Ashwin hasn't improved on those aspects. I highly doubt he'd have a home series as bad as the one against England now even against a better opponent in the future or bowl as badly as he did on Day 5 at Jo'burg). Its just that you have completely hidden away all his negatives and are focusing only on the positives whereas looking at Lyon's negatives only. You seem to have even overlooked him taking 11 (ELEVEN) wickets in a Test against the supposedly best players of spin last year in saying "I never really saw him being a great wicket taking threat". When did an offspinner last do that in Australia????. Certainly not including him in the poll at all is downright arrogant and insulting. Its as if you want to say Ashwin and Yasir Shah (who hasn't even played outside Asia till now) are in a vastly different class, which isn't simply true. They are all on a similar level. Seems to me that you are more interested in people sucking up to your favourites rather than looking for a genuine opinion by giving only 2 options, who are by no means vastly better than some of the others. Might as well have restricted to "Ashwin or other" in that case!!!