In Australia's world full of pacers, Nathan Lyon carves himself a modern-day GOAT

Nathan Lyon in third Ashes Test against England (Source: AFP)

There were a lot of talks when the Australian management dropped the veteran off-spinner Nathan Lyon from the playing XI of the second Ashes Test in Gabba. 

Following his omission from the XI, Lyon also expressed himself bluntly during a conversation with Seven Cricket, the official home broadcaster of the ongoing Ashes 2025-26. 

Meanwhile, Lyon has again gone on to bag England’s three big wickets of Zak Crawley, Harry Brook, and skipper Ben Stokes in the second innings after being picked for the 3rd Test. It also displays the fact that form has never been a concern for Lyon if it comes to justifying his place in the side. 

Hence, here’s a dissection and analysis of the notion that Nathan Lyon has carved himself out as a modern-day great in Australia world ‘full of pacers’, establishing himself around an out-and-out pace-bowling trio. 

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Carrying the 'Shane Warne' legacy with same greatness

Almost two or two and a half decades ago, there used to be a time when Australia’s bowling attack was decorated with three out-and-out pacers in Glenn McGrath, Brett Lee, and Jason Gillespie. But there happened a legend in Shane Warne who outshone this pace trio during 2002 to 2007. 

Leading wicket-takers for Australia from 1 Jan 2002 to 1 Jan 2007 

Warne was the leading wicket-taker for Australia in Tests in the time period from 1 Jan 2002 to 1 Jan 2007, with 114 wickets in 45 innings, followed by McGrath (110) and Lee (88). 

Almost after two decades of that phase, the template of the movie seems to be the same with only the characters changed. Now, it’s Nathan Lyon who has shaped his unmatched legacy under the shadow of a pace trio including Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins, and Josh Hazlewood. 

Lyon emerging out as a leading wicket-taker at the pace-bowling paradises of SENA countries (South Africa, England, New Zealand, and Australia) and that too having three pacers around him, is something that really deserves to be highlighted and lauded. 

Leading wicket-takers for Australia in SENA since Nathan Lyon’s debut 

Notably, Lyon made his Test debut in August 2011, followed by debuts of Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc in November and December of the same year. Later in 2014, Hazlewood also made his Test debut for Australia. 

In this time span since Lyon’s debut, he has been the leading wicket-taker in Tests for Australia in SENA countries, with 378 wickets in 189 innings of the 102 games. 

The veteran spinner is being followed by Starc with 327 wickets in 147 innings, and Cummins with 265 wickets in 108 innings at second and third spots. Josh Hazlewood is there at the fourth spot with 251 wickets in 114 innings. 

Leading wicket-takers in winning cause for Australia in SENA since Lyon’s debut

Speaking of the productivity in the winning cause, Lyon once again tops the list for Australia with 260 wickets in 122 innings of the won games in SENA countries, followed by Starc’s 225 wickets in 95 innings. Furthermore, Cummins and Hazlewood are at third and fourth spot with 169 and 153 wickets, respectively in the winning cause for their side. 

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Nathan Lyon’s legacy lies beyond the narrative of turning tracks

There’s always been a debate among the cricket experts around the narrative ‘turning’ and ‘spin-friendly’ pitches. This debate intensifies quite often when it comes to assess the legacy of a spinner and his comparison with contemporaries. 

But when it’s about Nathan Lyon, he has transcended this narrative and notion of ‘turning tracks’, that too in the pace-bowling friendly tracks of SENA countries. Speaking of the spinners, he has outsmarted all of his contemporaries in the SENA conditions with a massive difference. 

Leading wicket-takers in SENA among spinners since Lyon’s debut 

Lyon is the leading wicket-taker amongst the spinners in the SENA countries, with 378 wickets in 189 innings, followed by Keshav Maharaj’s 131 wickets in 73 innings with a huge difference of 247 wickets. Moeen Ali, with 128 wickets in 84 innings followed Maharaj, before sharing a 60-wicket gap with R Ashwin at fourth spot with 68 wickets in 42 innings. 

Leading wicket-takers in winnning cause in SENA among spinners since Lyon’s debut

In the winning cause, Lyon’s legacy broadens a bit more among the spinners as he has scalped 260 wickets in won games, followed by Maharaj’s 89 wickets in 51 innings, and Mooen Ali’s 82 wickets in 40 innings. 

Young England spinner Shoaib Bashir is also at the fourth spot in the list with 34 wickets in 17 innings. 

So, it concludes with the fact that the spin legacy of the legend of Nathan Lyon’s stature is something that doesn’t need the cushion of ‘spin-friendly’ or ‘turning tracks’. 

Conclusion: Rise of legend despite maintaining low profile 

With the above analysis about Lyon’s dominance in SENA countries among the out-and-out pace bowling trio of Australia and him standing alone even among the spinners in the SENA, gives a strength to the fact that the Aussie great hasn’t maintained that much high profile aligning with his stature. 

But it will not be an overstatement to state that, ‘Lyon has emerged as an all-time legend despite keeping a low profile’. The numbers are enough to staunchly advocate the same notion surrounding Nathan Lyon’s great spin legacy.

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