Former England spinner Graeme Swann has praised R Ashwin and he feels the India spinner is underrated. Ashwin is often criticized for not being effective overseas.
Conditions are not favorable for spinners in foreign conditions and Swann, who was England's reliable spinner even on English pitches, believes Ashwin is a much better bowler than he is credited for.
“In England or Australia, the whole game is different. In India, there is less bounce and more spin. So there is a bigger margin of error for him. He doesn’t necessarily need a bigger margin of error, but Indian captains can control the pace of the Test match in India, making him extremely effective. He has struggled in England because the conditions are more batting-friendly while facing spin,” Swann said in an interview timesofindia.com.
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“When he came to England in 2018, he bowled beautifully in the first Test. But he had an injury before the Southampton Test and wasn’t able to finish his action. To be honest, he is a much better bowler than people give him credit for in English conditions. He doesn’t need to do a lot differently. I just didn’t like it when he started bowling leg-spinners for a brief period.”
Ashwin has played 38 Tests in India and has taken 254 wickets at a bowling average of 22.68. In away Tests, he picked up 111 wickets with an average of 31.44.
Applying a filter to it, in New Zealand, England, South Africa, West Indies, and Australia, Ashwin only has 68 wickets in 21 matches at an average of 37.86.