"Ashwin best in India, Lyon better overall": Monty Panesar sets-up best Test spinner debate

New Delhi [India], September 23 : Ravichandran Ashwin capped off a great Test Match at his home ground Chepauk, on Saturday, shinning with bat and ball. Ashwin also went past his Australian rival Nathan Lyon for the most five wicket hauls in Test cricket.
However, for former England spinner Monty Panesar, Lyon scores more than Ashwin when it comes to the best spinner sweepstakes.
Monty Panesar believes Lyon is a better bowler than Ashwin because of the dominance he has imposed in Australia, where spinners struggle to find assistance from the pitch. However, considering Ashwin's prowess in Asian conditions, Monty labelled the 38-year-old as a better bowler on India's surface.
"I think I see Nathan Lyon in my opinion. Yes, he is a better bowler. But I think Ashwin is a better bowler in India," Monty Panesar told ANI in an exclusive telephonic interview.
Ashwin's main competitor in the modern era has been Australia's famed off-spinner Nathan Lyon. Both experienced spinners have made a reputation for their incredible craftsmanship with the ball. Lyon has 530 Test wickets from 129 matches with an average of 30.28 while R Ashwin has 522 Test wickets from a 101 matches at an average of 23.70.
Panesar points out that Ashwin's ability to bat helps him think like a batter, which helps him to exploit the opposition and serves as his biggest advantage.
"I think he thinks like a batter when he bowls. He is able to pick out the weakness and he can exploit it, and that is his biggest advantage. He bats really well when he bowls; he knows what the batters are thinking," Panesar said.
Panesar, however, feels that Ashwin would not fit into England's current Test Cricket set-up. He says that England's need for experimentation won't open up space for the 38-year-old in the Three Lions set-up.
"They experiment more. If Ashwin was English right now, then they would have told him to retire because they want to bring youngsters who have the potential to play. But I think England experiments more, and they like to experiment," Monty said.
Ashwin, 38, is ageing like a fine wine as he continues to walk into the twilight phase of his career. The seasoned off-spinner who has an array of skills in his arsenal, showed his potential to contribute with the bat in the opening Test against Bangladesh in Chennai.
In a dire situation, Ashwin lifted the spirits of the Indian team in front of his home crowd with a splendid 113(133) in the first inning. On Day 3 and 4, when the surface started to assist the spinners offering extra bounce and turn, Ashwin claimed a six-wicket haul while giving away 88 runs in his 21-over spell during India's emphatic 280-run victory.