Australia’s Nathan Lyon claimed his 400th Test wicket Saturday, joining an elite group of players to reach the milestone.
A classical off-spinner, the 34-year-old removed Dawid Malan for 82 on the fourth day of the first Ashes Test against England in Brisbane to reach the mark after a decade on the team.
Ahead of the Test, he nominated England cap-tain Joe Root as the scalp he would like as his 400th, given they have played so much against each other. “But, to be honest with you, I don’t really care.
I just want it to come and we can move on,” said Lyon, whose best haul so far was the 8-50 he took against India at Bengaluru in 2017. He had to make do with Malan, with Marnus Labuschagne taking the catch at silly mid-off.
Root, at the other end, was unsettled and fell soon after for 89, caught behind by Alex Carey off Cameroon Green’s bowling. It left England on 229-4 in their second innings, trailing Australia by 49 runs.
Veteran Lyon, in his 101st Test, became just the 16th player worldwide to achieve the feat, and only the third Australian after Shane Warne and Glenn McGrath.
Sri Lankan great Muttiah Muralitharan tops the all-time Test wicket-takers with 800, followed by Warne on 708.
England star Jimmy Anderson is third on 632, but was overlooked for the Brisbane Test, as was fellow paceman Stuart Broad who is sixth on the list with 524. Next in Lyon’s sights is West Indian great Cur-tley Ambrose, who has 405 wickets.—APP
