PERTH: Australian off-spinner Nathan Lyon has become the eighth bowler to take 500 wickets in Test cricket during the second innings of the first Test against Pakistan at Perth Stadium.
Lyon claimed his 500th wicket by dismissing Faheem Ashraf with the help of DRS after the on-field umpire turned down the LBW appeal.
He picked another wicket in the same over to help his side bundle Pakistan for a meagre 89 runs and register a huge 360-run victory in the first Test of the three-match series.
“It’s something I’m very proud about, I don’t think it’s hit me yet,” said Nathan Lyon after the match.
“There’s obviously been a lot of hard work gone into the journey and I’ve had a lot more bad days than good days, but to be back out there in the middle … it’s pretty special.
“I still pinch myself when I see my name next to those guys,” he said of the exalted company he has joined, including fellow spin kings Muttiah Muralitharan and Shane Warne.
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Nathan Lyon became the third bowler from Australia to achieve the landmark of 500 Test wickets after spin legend Shane Warne (708) and pace bowler Glenn McGrath (563).
However, he is the slowest among his countrymen as he took 123 Test matches, while Warne took 108 and McGrath took 110.
Nathan Lyon is also the fourth spinner across the globe to join the elite 500-wicket club after legends Muthiah Muralidaran, Warne and Anil Kumble.
Notably, Muralidaran is the fastest to claim 500 wickets as he took only 87 Test matches to reach the milestone.
Nathan Lyon made his Test debut in 2011 against Sri Lanka and picked the wicket of Kumar Sangakkara with the first ball of his Test career.
Lyon has taken a total of 501 wickets in Test cricket at an average of 30.85 with 23 five-wicket hauls and four 10-wicket hauls.
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