Australian veteran off-spinner Nathan Lyon has etched his name deeper into cricket history by reaching a major career milestone. He has officially entered the exclusive club of bowlers with 600 international wickets to their name. The landmark moment arrived on the second day of the second Test match played against Bangladesh in Mackay, where he picked up three wickets in the second innings to cross the threshold. With this achievement, Lyon becomes the fifth bowler from Australia to claim 600 international wickets and only the second spinner after Shane Warne to achieve the feat.
An Illustrious Career Record
Over the course of his career, Lyon has represented Australia in 174 international matches, taking his tally to 601 wickets. He maintains a bowling average of 31.00 across these appearances. Throughout his career, he has claimed five or more wickets in an innings 24 times, while also registering 10-wicket hauls in a match on five occasions. His best bowling figures stand at 8/50. In terms of most international wickets taken for Australia, Lyon now sits fifth on the all-time list. He trails only four bowlers: Shane Warne with 999 wickets, Glenn McGrath with 948 wickets, Mitchell Starc with 771 wickets, and Brett Lee with 718 wickets.
Dominance in Test Cricket
The vast majority of Lyon's success has come in the traditional format of the game. He has captured 571 wickets across 143 Test matches. His red-ball record includes 24 five-wicket hauls and five 10-wicket match hauls. In Test cricket for Australia, Lyon is second only to his compatriot Shane Warne, who picked up 708 wickets in 145 Tests. In addition to his exploits in the longest format, Lyon has played 29 One-Day Internationals for Australia, claiming 29 wickets with a best performance of 4/44. He has also featured in two T20 Internationals, picking up one wicket in the format.
Remaining Lethal at 38 Years of Age
Even at 38 years old, Lyon continues to prove his effectiveness and remains a potent threat with the ball. During the second Test against Bangladesh, he did not get an opportunity to bowl in the first innings, but made a massive impact in the second innings. He bowled 11.3 overs, conceding just 25 runs while picking up three wickets. His brilliant spell helped bundle out Bangladesh for a mere 95 runs in their second innings, allowing Australia to secure a victory by an innings and 51 runs. Following a defeat against Bangladesh in the opening match of the series, Australia staged a strong comeback in the second game to level the two-match series 1-1.
