Ashes 2021-22: Proud To Enter The 400-Test Wickets Club, Says Nathan Lyon
Published - 11 Dec 2021, 06:33 PM
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Australia off-spinner Nathan Lyon has said that he is proud to enter the 400-Test wickets club after he took the wicket of Dawid Malan (82) on day four of the first Test at the Gabba. Lyon took four wickets for 91 runs in the second innings as his side beat England by nine wickets.
Lyon’s 399th Test scalp was India’s Washington Sundar. Lyon clean bowled Sundar when India needed only 10 runs to win the game and the series at the same venue in January earlier this year. The off-spinner is the 17th globally and third Australian after Shane Warne and Glenn McGrath to enter the elite club.
The 34-year-old could have entered the club if their three-match Test series against South Africa was played earlier this year. The series was cancelled because of the emergence of a new COVID19 variant in South Africa. The Pat Cummins-led side has played in the longest format since they played last against India.
England skipper Joe Root won the toss and elected to bat on a green surface. This decision proved costly as his side got all-out for 147 in 50.1 overs. Australia’s newly-appointed Test skipper started his captaincy stint with a five-wicket hall while Lyon went wicketless on Wednesday. In reply, Australia amassed 425 runs, thanks to David Warner (94), Marnus Labuschagne (74) and Travis Head (152).
The Joe Root-led side scored 220/2 at the end of day three on Friday. On day four, the right-arm spinner took the wickets of Ollie Pope, Ollie Robinson and Mark Wood apart from Malan. England got all-out on 297 and asked the Aussies to chase the target of 20 runs which Australia chased down with nine wickets in hand.
Nathan Lyon explains the feeling of entering the 400-Test wickets club
“It hasn’t really hit me yet to be honest.
“No doubt I’ll get my phone and call my family and friends, and that will probably hit a little bit closer to home, I guess.
“But it’s something that I’m very proud of, there’s no doubt about that. It’s been some hard toil to get it, but it’s very rewarding, that’s for sure,” Lyon said
Aussie skipper Pat Cummins has said that Lyon is not just a wicket-taker but also bowls a lot of overs for the team.
“He’s our most important bowler, not just for wicket-taking, but you saw how many overs he bowled yesterday,” Cummins said.
“He went for two and a half an over for 20 overs on a hot day.”
The Ashes defending champions have taken the lead of 1-0 in the five-match series. The next match will be played in Adelaide from Thursday, December 16. This game will be a day-night affair.
