Best in Test Spinner of the Decade?

[Verified Enigma]

Whom do you think was the Spinner of the Decade in Tests?

Ravichandran Ashwin​	Rangana Herath​	Nathan Lyon​

 

[Aislabie]

Statistics say Ravindra Jadeja and it's not even close.

If you're wanting to answer a question about "greatest" rather than "best" then you might be able to make an argument for one of these three. I still don't enjoy watching any of them bowl as much as Rashid Khan - just a shame he's not from a big beefy Test nation

 

[wasteyouryouth]

Would go with Lyon. His record outside of Asia (which is going to benefit spinners) is a tad better and his record is more consistent outside of those conditions. Although I'd probably pick Ashwin in an XI for his batting.

 

[Verified Enigma]

Although I'd probably pick Ashwin in an XI for his batting.

Which has deteriorated tremendously

 

[CerealKiller]

I would’ve put the fastest bowler to 200 Test wickets in the poll, at least.
I'd go for Jadeja as well. No spinner has a good record everywhere, but Jadeja has the best record in unhelpful conditions.

Post automatically merged: Jan 9, 2021

Would go with Lyon. His record outside of Asia (which is going to benefit spinners) is a tad better and his record is more consistent outside of those conditions. Although I'd probably pick Ashwin in an XI for his batting.

Lyon's record in Asia is lacking though. He showed vast improvement in the last tour of India, but in the UAE and SL he was a disaster.

 

[CerealKiller]

Probably in the later half of the decade, he did a great job, but 10 years together, ummmm, dicey.

Talking about Yasir? He debuted in late 2014, so can’t blame him.

 

[Targaryen]

Not going to say that he's the best, Herath is one of the most underrated bowler overshadowed by Malinga's legacy.

 

[CerealKiller]

Not going to say that he's the best, Herath is one of the most underrated bowler overshadowed by Malinga's legacy.

You mean Murali's legacy?

 

[Verified Enigma]

Lyon's record in Asia is lacking though. He showed vast improvement in the last tour of India, but in the UAE and SL he was a disaster.

Quite contradictory for a spinner it seems. Asia should be a haven for spinners.

 

[Targaryen]

You mean Murali's legacy?

Nope, I'm talking about bowling as a whole and not the bowling style. And Herath was only half way through Muralis career which was before 2010. It was after Murali that Herath was more of a first choice spinner in SL squad.

yup, unfortunate but cant really help

Post automatically merged: Jan 9, 2021

Everyone will be seen as average, after was Murali did for SL Test Cricket

Shane Warne was much better than Murali since he is an Aussie and had unfavorable conditions for most part of his career. Whereas Murali was a beast on Asian pitches, most suited to spinners

 

[wasteyouryouth]

Lyon's record in Asia is let down by a slightly higher economy. His strike rate (for non-Asian bowlers with 50 wkts in Asia) is only bettered by Swann and Warne.

 

[Bevab]

I remember Jadeja outdoing Ashwin on several occasions particularly at home, the most famous of those being the 2016 Test in Chennai versus England where he seemed at times to be bowling on a completely different pitch. Bit unfortunate to not have played more games when he is actually good enough with the bat.

Herath would probably be my vote due to his 'legacy', it is no easy feat stepping into the shadows of an all-time great and he made it look quite easy. Yasir Shah a bit unlucky to miss out and if Keshav Maharaj had been properly managed, I reckon he could have been in with a shout too.

 

[Aislabie]

Bit unfortunate to not have played more games when he is actually good enough with the bat.

This is a very valid point - quite how he's not an automatic selection when his stats demand it even just as a number six batsman.

Test stats at six - 277 runs @ 69.25 (best 91) in 8 matches
Test career stats - 1,926 runs @ 35.66 (1 century, best 100*) in 50 matches
Fist-class stats - 5,856 runs @ 47.22 (10 centuries, best 331) in 103 matches

Slightly awkward sample sizes in places because of the general insistence on him not batting in the top six. Even weirder is that he's batted as low as nine a dozen times. Even Ashwin has batted in the top six a bunch more times than that, and he averages 24 with the bat in Tests not against the West Indies.

 

[Aislabie]

Probably India's strategy outside India is to play 6 specialist batsmen, a keeper and 3 quicks. Which leaves just one slot for a spinner. And with the stature of Ashwin, he is the automatic pick.

Unjust for Jadeja and he has shown his worth. But this is the thing with India.

Regardless of Ashwin's "status", he's still the second-best Test spinner mentioned in your post.

And both Bevab and I are suggesting that Jadeja as one of those six batsmen would make sense

 

[Jack7]

Ravichandran Ashwin.