During Australia’s inaugural Test match against Pakistan in Perth, Nathan Lyon became the eighth bowler and third Australian to surpass 500 Test wickets. His captain, Pat Cummins, called him the most crucial component of the attack.
Following his Ashes-ending calf injury earlier this year, Lyon had been stuck on 496 wickets, but he maintained his excellent record at the Optus Stadium. After taking wickets of Abdullah Shafique, Imam-ul-Haq, and Aamer Jamal in Pakistan’s opening innings, he reached 499 wickets.
Australia’s quicks saw through Pakistan’s second innings for a short while, giving the impression that he would run out of wickets, but in his seventh over, he defeated Ashraf by a leg before wicket call made by the DRS.
“I’m really proud of it,” Lyon declared following the game. “I doubt that it has struck me yet. Although the trip has undoubtedly involved a lot of hard work and there have been many good and bad days, it is still quite amazing to be in the thick of back after doing a calf with a special group of people and to be able to take 500 in my first Test back.
“I was quietly sure it was going to hit the leg. Reviews No matter what, you’re anxious all the time. Thus, overall, I’m fairly delighted.”
As the fourth spinner on the list, which also includes Anil Kumble and Muthiah Muralidaran, Lyon became an Australian player in the 500 club, joining Shane Warne (708) and Glenn McGrath (563).
“I still have to pinch myself when I see my name next to those guys,” Lyon shared with Channel Seven. “In my opinion, I’m not even next to those men. I think Shane Warne was the best player to ever play this game, and Glenn McGrath’s record says it all. It makes me proud to be getting closer to those men.”
After missing the last three Test matches of the Ashes series, Cummins was overjoyed to have Lyon back in the lineup, calling him the most crucial component of Australia’s renowned four-man attack.
After the game, Cummins remarked, “I don’t think it’s any secret that he’s probably the most important cog in our bowling line-up.” Indeed, this particular game is likely a little bit different. However, in the majority of games in which he bowls thirty overs per day, you can essentially drop him down one end and expect him to score little. He will take a couple of wickets, and us fast bowlers can just switch to the other end. There’s little doubt that he was missed in England. It’s nice to have him back because, as a captain, it makes life much easier to know that guy who has bowled in almost 100 Test matches, understands his trade, and can do it in almost every condition. Yes, there are still 500 to go.
When Lyon played his first Test match in 2011 at Galle against Sri Lanka, he had Kumar Sangakkara caught at slip with the ball. Even though it took him a few years to establish himself as a regular member of the team, his accomplishments put a stop to the rotation of spinners in the Test side after Warne’s retirement.
Fellow off-spinner R Ashwin, who presently has 489 wickets ahead of India’s two-Test series in South Africa and five home matches against England starting in late January, is the next closest to joining the group on 500 wickets.
Prior to the Perth Test, Lyon remarked, “We’ve faced off head-to-head many, many times in various conditions around the world.” “I have the utmost regard for Ashwin and his methodology. He has surely taught me something. You can pick up skills from your opponents, and without realizing it, he’s been one of my biggest mentors in a way.
“It’s pretty amazing to see that we’re both creeping up to that 500 mark and we’ll see where we end up and hopefully at the end of our careers we’ll be able to sit down and have a nice feed and beer and talk about it.”
