Nathan Lyon claims 400 Test wickets: Key numbers
Veteran Australian spinner Nathan Lyon has achieved a new milestone in Test cricket. The off-spinner has got to 400 Test wickets (403). Lyon claimed four wickets in the second innings of the first Ashes Test against England on Saturday. He played a key role in helping the Aussies earn a nine-wicket win and claim a 1-0 lead in the five-match series.
Why does it matter?
It was a long wait for Lyon, who had 399 scalps coming into The Ashes. He had to wait for almost a whole year to reach the milestone. Lyon went wicketless in the first innings but bowled well today to get his rewards. He broke the partnership between Dawid Malan and Joe Root and that helped Australia get through the English line-up.
Seventh spinner to claim 400 Test scalps
Lyon has become the seventh spin bowler to take 400 wickets in men's Test cricket. Muttiah Muralitharan, Shane Warne, Anil Kumble, Rangana Herath, R Ashwin, and Harbhajan Singh are the other spinners to have achieved this feat. He is also the third Australian overall after Warne and Glenn McGrath to claim 400 Test wickets.
Decoding Lyon's Test numbers
Lyon has become the 17th bowler overall to take 400-plus wickets in Test cricket. He has taken 403 Test scalps at 32.07. Lyon has 17 four-wicket hauls and 18 five-fors respectively. The right-arm spinner has 204 Test wickets on home soil at 32.87. Away from home, he has racked up 184 Test scalps. He also has 15 wickets at neutral venues.
His performance against England
In 24 Tests against England, Lyon has 89 wickets at 30.41. At home, he has racked up 44 wickets 31.62. In England, he has taken 45 scalps at 31.62.
