PAK vs AUS: Nathan Lyon Could Break Shane Warne's This Record In Lahore Test

Australian spinner Nathan Lyon could enter an elusive record list in the third Test between Pakistan and Australia in Lahore. The series is evenly poised at 0-0 with the final Test will be the decider as Australia will aim to win their first Test series in Pakistan after 24 years.

The last time Australia won a Test series in Pakistan was in 1998 when Mark Taylor and his men clinched the three-match Test series 1-0, it was also the Australian side’s last tour to Pakistan.

Pakistan-Australia Test series to be decided in Lahore

After 24 years, Pat Cummins & co have ended the wait for the Pakistani fans to see their favourite Australian players perform in front of them. However, this Test series is deemed as boring by the cricket pundits and fans because of the benign pitches unable to produce results in the first two matches in Rawalpindi and Karachi.

But the mindset of people might have changed after watching the enthralling Day 5 of the Karachi Test where Pakistan batters led by skipper Babar Azam defied the Australian bowling attack to salvage a draw after the hosts were bowled out for 148 in the first innings.

Babar missed his double-hundred but the Pakistan captain batted with determination and grit for 10 hours and seven minutes to score 196 off 425 balls to keep the visitors at bay. After Babar’s dismissal at the end of the day, wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Rizwan deployed his defensive technique, he stood firm at one end of the crease and remained unbeaten on 104. Pakistan put up 447/6, their sixth-highest fourth innings total of all time.

Nathan Lyon likely to break Shane Warne’s elusive record

Lyon picked successive wickets of Babar and Faheem Ashraf to give Australia hopes to come back in the contest, the off-spinner also dismissed Sajid Khan to end the innings with the figures of 4/112.

Lyon has bowled a total of 142 overs (852 balls) in this Test series so far, he is just 26 overs shy of equalling legendary spin bowler Shane Warne’s elusive record.

Warne had bowled 168 (1008 deliveries) overs during Australia’s tour of Sri Lanka in 2004, the most balls bowled by an Australian bowler in a three-Test series in Asia. Lyon will have the opportunity to break that record in the final Test match, which commences on March 21 at the Gaddafi stadium in Lahore.

Also Read: Nathan Lyon Scripts Unwanted Record, Becomes 1st Bowler To Concede 250 Sixes In Test History