MELBOURNE: Australian spin maestro Nathan Lyon on Monday etched his name in cricketing history by surpassing Ravichandran Ashwin in the all-time Test wicket rankings.
Lyon’s stellar performance in the fourth Test against India at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, where Australia secured a resounding 184-run victory, was instrumental in achieving this milestone.
Lyon delivered a match-winning spell, finishing with figures of 3 for 96 in the first innings and 2 for 37 in the second.
His decisive wicket came in the 80th over of India’s second innings, where he trapped Mohammed Siraj LBW for a single run, clinching the victory for the Pat Cummins-led Australian side.
This dismissal brought Lyon’s career tally to 538 Test wickets, surpassing Ashwin’s total of 537.
Ravichandran Ashwin, who retired on December 18, 2024, concluded his illustrious career with 537 wickets in 106 matches.
The 36-year-old Lyon has now taken 538 wickets in 133 matches, placing him seventh on the all-time list of Test wicket-takers. Only six bowlers are ahead of Lyon.
Most Wickets in Test Cricket:
- Muttiah Muralitharan (Sri Lanka) – 800
- Shane Warne (Australia) – 708
- James Anderson (England) – 704
- Anil Kumble (India) – 619
- Stuart Broad (England) – 604
- Glenn McGrath (Australia) – 563
- Nathan Lyon (Australia) – 538
- Ravichandran Ashwin (India) – 537
- Courtney Walsh (West Indies) – 519
Lyon’s performance also saw him equaling Ashwin’s record for the most wickets in World Test Championship (WTC) history.
Both players, along with Australian captain Pat Cummins, have claimed 195 WTC wickets. Lyon’s 195 wickets came in 47 matches, while Ashwin achieved the same in 41 matches. Cummins, meanwhile, reached the milestone in 46 matches.
Top WTC Wicket-Takers:
- Ravichandran Ashwin (India) – 195
- Nathan Lyon (Australia) – 195
- Pat Cummins (Australia) – 195
- Mitchell Starc (Australia) – 162
- Jasprit Bumrah (India) – 154
With the fifth Test against India starting on January 3, 2025, at the Sydney Cricket Ground, Lyon and Cummins have an opportunity to surpass Ashwin and become the leading wicket-taker in WTC history.
- Ravichandran Ashwin