“Been spending a lot of time in front of the laptop, watching videos, driving my wife mad” – Nathan Lyon on studying R Ashwin
Australia’s Off-spinner Nathan Lyon has frequently been compared with his Indian counterpart R Ashwin. Both are successful players, and they have reserved the title of The Greatest spinners to play Test Cricket. But Lyon doesn’t feel the same. He thinks that the two are different types of bowlers who possess various skills. However, to everyone’s surprise, he recently disclosed that he started watching videos of Ashwin’s bowling to observe and analyze how to bowl in subcontinent conditions.
Here are some statements said by Nathan Lyon about R Ashwin:
“I think the way Ashwin has gone about it has been remarkable, and his records speak for himself. I am a different bowler to Ash.”
“Have I sat down and watched a lot of Ashwin before coming here? Yes, 100 per cent. I’ve spent much time at home in front of the laptop, driving my wife crazy. It’s all about learning.”
He added
“The best thing about this game is we’re learning, trying to grow & get better by watching the opposition, and that’s one of the biggest learning curves.”
Nathan Lyon also revealed his discussion with Ashwin and how it helped him analyze the conditions better. He also said that Ashwin possesses various interesting Variations, which he would like to learn from him.
On this, Lyon stated:
“There’s a lot of talks. Lots he has taught me about. Sitting down and speaking to him, there’s been a lot that he’s taught me, and that’s not for here but even in Australia. I would like to develop a couple of skill sets. That’s why I feel like I can still get better. So that’s what’s driving me.”
Lyon did an incredible performance compared to his previous version in the Nagpur Test, where he took only one wicket in 49 overs. Australia will need a better performance by their star off-spinner Lyon in their second test in Delhi against India if they want to get their position back in the series.