Australia's Nathan Lyon moves behind Shane Warne with Ashes double

Australia's Nathan Lyon moves behind Shane Warne with Ashes double

The spinner had been stuck on 562 wickets since the West Indies tour in July. Lyon bowled just two overs in Perth, then was left out altogether for the Brisbane Test, which left him "absolutely filthy", in his own words.

As such, when Lyon was thrown the ball in just the ninth over of England's innings on Thursday, he had a point to prove. And just like that, he took two wickets. 

With his third ball, the veteran drew Ollie Pope into a drive that he lollied straight to Josh Inglis at midwicket. That wicket took him level with Australian legend Glen McGrath.

But it was his last delivery that caused massive celebrations from the hosts. Drifting into the left-handed Ben Duckett, he drew him forward, but the ball gripped and turned past the outside edge, crashing into the very top of off stump. A dejected Duckett craned his neck at the pitch, but in truth he'd been outdone by the wily veteran. 

It was a classic dismissal for a classy bowler, who now only has cricket icon Shane Warne ahead of him in terms of Australian bowlers.

On the global all-time list, Lyon is in sixth place with his haul of 564. His next target is the retired Stuart Broad with 604 wickets. Shane Warne collected 708 scalps in his storied career, while only Muthiah Muralidaran is ahead of him on a seemingly uncatchable and scarcely believable 800 test wickets. 

For Lyon, it's another chapter in his incredible story that started in 2010 when a T20 coach saw him bowling in the nets while part of the ground staff in Adelaide. Just seven months later, he was called up to the Australian Test squad. 

The 38-year-old has said in the past that he wants to keep playing until at least the 2027 Ashes in England, leaving him plenty of opportunity to reach 600 wickets if he's selected. 
 

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