Former Australia cricketer Brad Hogg shared his views on the comparisons and differences between the two best off-spinners in recent times – Ravichandran Ashwin and Nathan Lyon. Both of them have been playing for almost a decade now as well.

However, Brad Hogg has said that Nathan Lyon is more conventional with his approach, while Ashwin brings a lot more variations in his bowling. While speaking on his YouTube channel, Brad Hogg said: “Ashwin has got some other deliveries into his armory, which makes him more of an attacking option than Nathan Lyon. He has got the carrom ball, where he rolls his fingers down the seam. He also has got the carrom ball, where he flicks the seam with his middle finger. That’s the one that turns the other way. He has got more variations as well to bamboozle the batsmen.”

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Meanwhile, R Ashwin bowled genuine leg-spin as a different variation during games many times and he has found success with it as well. Hogg, however, claimed how despite being off-spinners, they play different roles to their respective sides as well.

Brad Hogg, however, admitted that Ravichandran Ashwin is used as a wicket-taking option by Team India while Nathan Lyon plays a more subdued role in the Australian team as well. Lyon is currently playing against England in the Ashes series while R Ashwin will soon play against South Africa in the three-match Test series as well.

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“Both players are slightly different in their roles within the team. Ashwin is used more as a wicket-taking option whereas Lyon usually holds up one end to bowl as many overs as he can to allow the fast bowlers in the Australian team to have a rest. That’s why opposition teams should go after Lyon, making the Australian captain go to his fast bowlers more often,” Brad Hogg signed off.