Former Australia opener Matthew Hayden feels that while Ravichandran Ashwin’s stats are “simply phenomenal”, Harbhajan Singh in his prime was the more dominant spinner as he had to shoulder more responsibility since he did not have the same fast bowling support.
Ashwin recently broke Dennis Lillee’s record to become the fastest bowler to 300 wickets in 54 Test matches.
Hayden had faced Harbhajan in his prime and also watched young Ashwin from close quarters during his days with Chennai Super Kings.
“I think stats often lie but having said that, some of the milestone show remarkable respect to Ravichandran Ashwin, who is fastest to 300 wickets in Test cricket. Even if he plays for another five years, he would be remembered as one of the greats of his generation. His skill-set, like Harbhajan, is masterful but he is probably not as attacking an off-spinner as Harbhajan was, Hayden told PTI on Thursday.
“But then Ashwin doesnt really need to be as attacking as Bhajji. His role within this side is well-defined by a slightly better fast bowling attack [as support cast] than what my generation was facing. You line-up Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Mohammed Shami, Ishant Sharma, Umesh Yadav and put Jasprit Bumrah into the mix with Ravindra Jadeja as the second spinner as well. So Ashwin is playing his role and doing it successfully,” Hayden explained.
“Harbhajan I thought in his era was ‘the dominant bowler’ especially against Australia so if Bhajji wasn’t taking wickets, India were in trouble. I don’t think Venkatesh Prasad was a wonderful Test match bowler. I think Harbhajan was the lone role maker.
“With due respect, Zaheer Khan or Javagal Srinath were wonderful bowlers but I think they were less of a threat compared to guys that are there now,” Hayden added.
On Kohli vs Smith debate
The former Australian player also refused to compare Virat Kohli and Steve Smith, saying that both captains of their respective teams are destined for greatness in their own way. He went on to explain what makes the great Test batsmen of this generation so technically sound.
“Kohli, Smith, Joe Root and Kane Williamson are vastly different players and good thing about all these guys is that each one of them is stepping on greatness in their own unique ways along with Cheteshwar Pujara and his Rahul Dravid-like approach to Test cricket,” the opener said.
“Williamson’s backfoot play and ability to play the ball late in all conditions is something we haven’t seen in modern players. Kohli’s cover drive and ability to attack bowlers with quality running between the wickets and the manner in which he plays spin is unique.
“Now come to Smith with his unorthodox back-and-across type of approach. With that technique you might say he should not have achieved anywhere near what he has. The reality is that High Performance coaches should understand that there is not one right technique, most of it is between your left and right ear. These guys are great players as in their heads, they have got it spot on,” he said.