“He’s probably been one of my biggest coaches in a way” – Nathan Lyon talks on Ravichandran Ashwin.

Australia’s acclaimed spinner, Nathan Lyon, recently expressed his admiration for Ravichandran Ashwin, acknowledging him as one of his significant mentors. As Lyon approaches the remarkable milestone of 500 wickets, he emphasized the profound respect he holds for Ashwin and the invaluable lessons he has gained from the Indian cricketer.

Inarguably, Lyon and Ashwin stand out as the premier Test bowlers of their generation, collectively amassing over 900 wickets. Despite Lyon having participated in more Test matches than his Indian counterpart, he is merely four wickets away from the coveted 500-wicket mark. Lyon’s potential achievement of this milestone looms on the horizon, with the prospect of reaching it in the first Test against Pakistan in Perth on December 14.

In an interview with cricket.com.au on Wednesday, the 36-year-old spinner disclosed that he has closely observed Ashwin’s performances since the inception of his own career. Lyon highlighted the significant impact Ashwin has had on his development as a cricketer.

Lyon said “You look at Ashwin, he’s a world-class bowler and somebody I’ve watched closely from the start of his career. We’ve gone head-to-head many times in different conditions around the world.“

“I’ve got nothing but respect for Ashwin and the way he’s gone about it. There’s an opportunity to learn from the people you play against, and without knowing it, he’s probably been one of my biggest coaches in a way.”