They are close as bowlers. I think Ashwin is very marginally the better bowler, but there is more condition dependability about his bowling than Kapil. Kapil held the bowling together for well over a decade with no support. Even the spin bowlers of his time were pretty ****. After Bedi, Chandra and Pras retired at the beginning of Kapil's career, who exactly India had until Kumble came along ?
It isn't close between as batsmen which is why many are voting him ahead of Ashwin. Kapil was capable of ATG knocks as a batsman, Ashwin is not (though I rate his lower order contributions)
Since Marshall was your hero, I am pretty sure you followed Kapil's career closely as well. He was immense against WI and had to do the donkey job of bowling, bowling and bowling for ever, without the luxury of not getting picked when it doesn't suit his style of bowling like Ashwin. There is no other example of a pace bowling all rounder in history who played as much as 131 tests, which is why his career stats need to be taken with context.
I agree that Ashwin is more conditions dependant, and that the best argument for Kapil is that he may have more impact in more conditions.
The difference for me though, and where I come down on this side of the argument, is that Ashwin, in the right conditions, is an ATG and a match winner. Don't think Kapil hits that standard anywhere.
I take what you're saying, but and I know how he had to bear the burden of his attack on how own. But he also played in one of the most bolwer friendly eras, he averaged pretty well in India, which was the hardest place to bowl and as you said he did well vs the best team of the era.
But his average was closer to Sober's than it was to Aswin's, far less Hadlee who, yes had better home conditions and primarily played in his own backyard and England, but also had to near the burden of his attack.
Yes I've acknowledged that I probably under rate the importance of lower order batting, but I still believe it's over rated by many. Yes, like all 3 secondary skills it is a crucial add on, but it's insufficient to carry or consistently rescue a team on its own. So yes, for me the gap in their primary skills aren't made up by (to me) a smaller gap in their lesser secondary skills.
The highlighted portion, as well as the bit immediately after, are indeed crucial points. That's what keeps from for being totally sold on Ashwin being an indiputed ATG, and as I said at the start, Kapil would probably have a bigger impact a greater number of places. But again, don't think he has the same match winning potential there over Ashwin at home.
Yes the long career, like with Punter impacted his stats, but don't believe Kapil was ever that too tier performer with the ball either, not close to the premier guys of his era at least.
Yes, they both make an ATG India team, and both would be crucial to the team, but Ashwin's potential at home wins it for me?
Is that reasonable?
