Ind vs Aus | Ashwin is world’s best spinner; Sundar won't last long: EAS Prasanna

Ahead of the India-Australia Test series for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, spin legend EAS Prasanna has said Ravichandran Ashwin is the best spinner in the world.

India meet Australia in a five-Test rubber starting from Friday (November 22) in Perth and Prasanna has put the onus on India’s batters to deliver the goods if the team has to complete a hat-trick of series wins Down Under.

In an exclusive chat with The Federal, Prasanna said off-spinners Ashwin and Nathan Lyon are the world’s top two spinners and the Indian is better than his Australian counterpart as he has more variety in his bowling.

Also read: Ashwin on 0-3 whitewash against NZ: 'A very shattering experience'

“Ravichandran Ashwin and Nathan Lyon are the top two spinners in the world. But I feel Ashwin is a better bowler than Nathan because he has got more variety. As of now, Ashwin is still the best in the world. But he has to also leave the game sometime soon as he is 38 years old now,” the 84-year-old Prasanna said.

Sundar 'restrictive bowler'

Ashwin has taken 536 wickets in 105 Tests and Lyon has 530 scalps from 129 Test matches.

When asked about his views on young off-spinner Washington Sundar who did well in the recently concluded Test series against New Zealand which India lost 0-3, Prasanna said he may not last long in Test cricket.

Also read: India vs Australia 1st Test Preview

“He (Sundar) is still a youngster. I want to see him bowl on a good wicket. In the home series against New Zealand, he has bowled mostly on turning tracks. I want to see how he bowls on a flat, batmen’s paradise wicket. Whatever little I have seen, I feel he is more of a restrictive bowler than a wicket-taker on a good pitch. He operates like a T20 bowler. Sundar will take a long, long time (to achieve success like Ashwin). I don’t think he will last long in Test cricket because such type of bowlers are many in India now,” Prasanna, who took 189 wickets in 49 Tests, opined.

Prasanna, who was part of the famous Indian spin quartet, said Indian batters have to score at least 350 runs in each innings in Australia to stand a chance of winning the five-Test series.

'Bowling standards have come down due to T20s'

Talking about Twenty20 cricket, Prasanna said the format has resulted in raising the standards of fielding but rued that bowling standards had come down.

“T20 format is good for people who are trying to make a living out of cricket. Very few people can play for India but IPL and other T20 leagues help other cricketers who come from middle-class backgrounds to earn some money. T20 has a tremendous advantage for them… When you are bowling just four overs in a T20 game, your job is to restrict run-scoring, which I feel is like sacrificing your talent and bowling flat… Due to T20s, fielding standards have gone very high but at the same time bowling standards have come down,” he said.

Prasanna, who lives in Bengaluru, said retired life is “very tough” but by God’s grace, everything is fine. He also said he doesn’t go to Bengaluru’s M Chinnaswamy Stadium to watch matches like before.

“Retired life is a very tough life, but it is also enjoyable life. By God’s grace, everything is good. I don’t go to watch matches at the stadium in Bengaluru. At this age, it is difficult to go through the hassles,” he signed off.