I see only R Ashwin getting to 800 wickets: Muralitharan

Former Sri Lanka spinner Muttiah Muralitharan only sees Ravichandran Ashwin breaching the 800-wicket mark among the active spinners.   

“Ashwin has a chance because he is a great bowler. Other than that, I don't think any younger bowler coming in will go to 800. Maybe Nathan Lyon is not good enough to reach it. He is close to 400 (396) but he has had to play many, many matches to get there, ” - He said in a column for the London-based Telegraph.

Ashwin, who made his debut in 2011, has formed the fulcrum of India's bowling attack over the last few years in Tests. In 138 innings, he has claimed 377 wickets with a staggering average of 25.54. 

Undoubtedly one of the finest exponents of spin bowling, Muralitharan has 800 wickets to his tally - the most for any bowler in Test cricket. The 48-year-old added that he would have got more wickets if the DRS system was in place during his playing days. 

"I would say I would have had more wickets [with DRS] because it would have been hard for batsmen to use the pad. If I came round the wicket to a right-hander and if he missed the ball, there was a 90 per cent chance the ball would hit the wicket. But umpires were judging that it was not out because it was hitting the front leg.” - he explained. 

[Telegraph input]