I hope Ravichandran Ashwin and Nathan Lyon take 1000 Test wickets – Shane Warne

Former Australian legendary spinner Shane Warne is hopeful that Ravichandran Ashwin and Nathan Lyon finish their career with 1000 Test wickets.

Both Ashwin and Lyon are currently the best off-spinners of the present era and they have delivered the goods for their respective teams.

Ashwin has scalped 430 wickets in 84 Test matches at an impressive average of 24.38. Ashwin is currently 35 years and one expects him to play for another three years. Thus, it will be a bit difficult for him to take 570 more Test wickets.

Meanwhile, Ashwin has savored more of his success in the favorable Indian conditions. The veteran off-spinner has scalped 300 wickets in India while the remaining 130 have come in foreign conditions. However, Ashwin has improved his performance in overseas conditions in the recent past and had scalped 12 wickets against Australia in the 2020-21 series.

On the other hand, Nathan Lyon has scalped 405 wickets in 105 Test matches at an average of 31.79 and it will be difficult for him to scale the mountain of 1000 Test wickets.

Meanwhile, Muttiah Muralitharan is the highest wicket-taker in Test format as he finished his glorious career with 800 Test wickets while Shane Warne took 708 Test scalps in his illustrious career.

“I hope both Ashwin and Lyon do (break Warne and Muralitharan’s record), because the more we see quality spin bowlers bowling, it makes for more interesting cricket. I think when you watch a pace bowler bowl real fast and a batter trying to take them on and then you see a really good spinner and that battle between him and a spinner. And you see that battle evolve. If you can see those two things in Test cricket, I think it becomes more entertaining. So if we can have that, then I hope Ashwin takes 1000 Test wickets, Lyon takes 1000 Test wickets. That would be fantastic,” Warne told Hindustan Times.

“Ashwin is getting better and better. He has been fantastic. A true test of any cricketer is how they go away from home. Over a long period of time when you go to different countries and see how you perform overseas and then you end up having a record – both home and overseas, it gives you an idea as to how far you’ve come as a player. I am a big fan of Ashwin, the way he bowls. I think he is always trying to develop and explore different deliveries,” he mentioned.

Meanwhile, Ashwin also made a return to the ODI squad in the series against South Africa but could not make an impact with the ball. Furthermore, he had an ordinary Test series against the Proteas as he could only pick three wickets in as many Test matches.

On the other hand, Nathan Lyon had a good Ashes for Australia against England. The veteran off-spinner scalped 16 wickets in five Test matches at an impressive average of 23.56.