‘From groundsman to elite list. What a journey!’ – Twitter erupts as Nathan Lyon joins 500 Test Wicket club

Nathan Lyon. (Photo Sourcer: X(Twitter)

Nathan Lyon has etched his name in history, becoming the eighth bowler and the third Australian to join the elite 500 Test wickets club. The moment unfolded on the fourth day of the opening Test against Pakistan at Perth’s Optus Stadium, where Lyon sent Faheem Ashraf packing.

Lyon, whose journey to 500 wickets was momentarily halted by a calf injury post the Ashes series, displayed his unwavering skill at the Optus Stadium. He completed this historic achievement by dismissing Abdullah Shafique, Imam-ul-Haq, and Aamer Jamal, propelling him to 499 wickets in Pakistan’s first innings.

As the Australian pace battery rattled through Pakistan’s second innings, Lyon found himself at the precipice of the elusive milestone. However, it was the seventh over that saw him take the much-awaited wicket of Ashraf through an LBW decision, affirmed by the DRS.

This accomplishment places Lyon in illustrious company, standing alongside legendary Australian bowlers Shane Warne (708) and Glenn McGrath (563) in the 500-wicket club. Among spinners, he joins the esteemed company of Muthiah Muralidaran and Anil Kumble.

Reflecting on his achievement, Lyon humbly acknowledged the significance of reaching the 500-wicket mark.

“I just keep talking to my family, friends and close ones about how special it is. You keep edging your way closer to two Australian greats in McGrath and Warne. For only two Australians to be over that 500 mark is pretty remarkable. It’s something that I’m proud about. A lot of hard work has gone into it,” he said as quoted by ESPN Cricinfo.

Looking ahead, the closest contender to Lyon’s feat is fellow offspinner R Ashwin, sitting on 489 wickets before India’s upcoming Test series in South Africa and a subsequent home series against England. Lyon, acknowledging his camaraderie with Ashwin, expressed mutual respect, stating,

“We’ve gone head-to-head many, many times in different conditions around the world. I’ve got nothing but respect for Ashwin and the way he’s gone about it. I’ve definitely learnt off him. There’s an opportunity to learn off the people you play against and without knowing it, he’s probably been one of my biggest coaches in a way.

“It’s pretty amazing to see that we’re both creeping up to that 500 mark and we’ll see where we end up and hopefully at the end of our careers we’ll be able to sit down and have a nice feed and beer and talk about it.”

Here is how Twitter ‘X’ reacted to Lyon’s achievement.