Legendary Sri Lankan spinner Rangana Herath has listed his top contemporary spinners from international cricket. Herath named India’s Ravichandran Ashwin, Australia’s Nathan Lyon, and South Africa’s Keshav Maharaj as his current favorites.
Regarded as one of Sri Lanka’s greatest spinners, Herath had a remarkable career, amassing over 100 first-class wickets and 500 international wickets, including 400 in Tests.
At 46, Herath was pivotal in Sri Lanka’s maiden T20 World Cup victory in 2014, delivering a memorable performance against New Zealand. He took five wickets for just three runs, including two maidens, in 3.3 overs. Sri Lanka defeated India in the final to secure the championship.
Ravichandran Ashwin and Nathan Lyon – Rangana Herath
Rangana Herath named his favorite spinners of the current generation, including Ravichandran Ashwin, Nathan Lyon, and Keshav Maharaj. He also stated that he enjoys watching Kuldeep Yadav. Herath mentioned that Prabath Jayasuriya from Sri Lanka has impressed him.
“It’s got to be Ravichandran Ashwin and Nathan Lyon if you take finger spinners. Another one I like is of course Keshav Maharaj from South Africa. I’m also always very keen on watching Kuldeep Yadav bowl I mean. As for Sri Lanka, of course, Prabath Jayasuriya, so yes, these are some of the names that come across my mind,” said Rangana Herath during interaction with Arvind Krishnan as quoted by CricBlog.
Rangana Herath last played for Sri Lanka in a Test match against England at the Galle International Stadium in November 2018. He took 434 wickets in 93 Tests at an average of 28.08 and a strike rate of 60.03, with a best bowling performance of 9/127. He secured 74 wickets in 71 ODIs and 18 wickets in T20Is.
Sri Lanka’s spinners Dominated In Recent ODI Series vs India
Sri Lanka’s spinners delivered a remarkable performance in their recent ODI series against India, claiming 27 wickets across the three-match series. This total represents the highest number of wickets taken by any team in a bilateral series of fewer than four matches.
Sri Lanka had standout spinners in each game of the series. In the third and final ODI in Colombo, Dunith Wellalage achieved a five-wicket haul. In the second match, Jeffrey Vandersay made a significant impact with a seven-wicket haul. Additionally, Wanindu Hasaranga and Chaith Asalanka each took three wickets in the first ODI.
In contrast, Indian spinners managed to secure 16 wickets throughout the series, with Washington Sundar and Kuldeep Yadav taking five and four wickets, respectively.
Sri Lanka’s victory marked their first ODI series win against India since 1997, ending a lengthy streak. This series loss made Rohit Sharma only the third Indian captain to experience an ODI series defeat to Sri Lanka.
