Ravichandran Ashwin and Nathan Lyon are two modern-day greats, and with the stage set for a lip-smacking Border-Gavaskar Trophy, world cricket cannot wait to watch how the battle of the spinner unveils. R Ashwin, who has 536 Test wickets in 105 Tests, will go head-to-head with Lyon, who is just a shade behind and has 530 wickets from 129 matches. Although pitches in Australia have traditionally assisted pace more than spin, every time Ashwin and Lyon have the ball in their hands, history can take a walk.

The five-Test series between India and Australia will headline several key individual contests – Pat Cummins vs Virat Kohli, Mitchell Starc vs Rohit Sharma, and Jasprit Bumrah vs Travis Head. Ashwin vs Lyon may not be as blockbuster a rivalry, but it could very well determine the outcome of the series. The two have always marvelled at not only their craft but shared mutual admiration towards what the other has achieved. The best off-spinner in the world debate is up for grabs. Who will take the bragging rights?

Ahead of the marquee series, former South Africa left-arm spinner Paul Adams has made his opinion clear about who he rates a more 'complete' bowler between Ashwin and Lyon. Before getting into his comment, here are some numbers. Ashwin, 38, has taken 383 wickets out of 536 in India. When it comes to SENA countries, the off-spinner has taken a total of 71 wickets in 25 matches. The breakdown of these wickets is as follows – 39 wickets in Australia, 18 in England, 3 in New Zealand and 11 in South Africa.

Lyon, 36, has taken 259 wickets out of his 530 in Australia. In Asia, in particular, GAZZA has scalped 140 wickets in 28 matches, and the breakdown is as follows: 22 in Bangladesh, 56 in India, 12 in Pakistan, 35 in Sri Lanka, and 15 in the UAE. That being said, Ashwin has often warmed the bench overseas, with India preferring Ravindra Jadeja on account of him being a better batter. In Australia, Ashwin has taken 39 wickets in 10 matches, whereas in Indian conditions too, Nathan Lyon has scalped 56 Tests in 11 matches.

However, Paul Adams reckons Nathan Lyon is a more complete bowler than Ashwin. "Both are real good legends of the game. I think both, when they play in their home conditions, are very dominant. But like you said, from travelling around the world, I still think Nathan Lyon has a more complete game in terms of competing in the subcontinent and in Australia or South Africa, those type of conditions, than Ashwin," Paul Adams said while replying to a Hindustan Times query during a select media interaction.

What makes left-arm spin more difficult to face on turning tracks

India, off late, have opted to play on rank turners on home soil. However, they have often fallen prey to their own trap – left-arm spin that mostly has undone the Indian batters. Steve O'Keefe, Tom Hartley, Ajaz Patel and Mitchell Santner are some names that have troubled the Indian batting lineup, which has stalwarts like Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. What makes them so difficult to face on turning tracks?

"The left-arm spin. I think it's one, like I said, on rank turners, it's not often the turning ball that's very dangerous. I think it's like playing a seam on a seaming wicket. You look to play the line and if you play a miss, it's fine. It's more the balls that go straight on or slide on that become really dangerous. So you're not sure if one's going to turn or what's going to really just skid on," he added while responding to another Hindustan Times query.

"So a left-arm spinner, to right-hand batters, he can sort of always pitch the ball in line with the wickets. So that's why there's a challenge of more percentage of balls that can go towards the stumps and make sure you are hitting in line. It really challenges the batter's defence. So they become tricky, especially if the wickets are starting to turn. And then they are able as well to slide the ball on and with the subtle changes that the batters don't pick up. So that's what makes them really tricky to face."

No interaction with Paul Adams is complete without the mention of South Africa's prized T20 competition, SA20. In the upcoming edition, former India wicketkeeper-batter Dinesh Karthik will represent Paarl Royals, and Adams expects fireworks from this association.

"Yeah, I think, look, with DK playing at the Paarl Royals, he's going to be really great in terms of spectatorship and India's interest as well. Already, ownerships of the franchises are in the IPL, so it's important that leading to a match, and we see Indian players coming into other leagues," Adams told Hindustan Times.

"In the past, we haven't seen that happen. But DK, he's been a great ambassador for the game, a good character as well, so I think he'll lend a lot of positivity, and also his knowledge and how he goes about his game, to the domestic players here in South Africa," he concluded.

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