SL vs AUS | Nathan Lyon goes past Kapil Dev and Rangana Herath; enters top 10 highest wicket-takers in Tests

Australia’s Nathan Lyon rocked Sri Lanka’s batting line-up on Day 3 of the Galle Test, which helped his side win the match in the morning session itself. During his spell of 4 for 31, he went past India’s Kapil Dev (434) and Sri Lanka’s Rangana Herath (433) to claim the 10th spot in the list of highest wicket-takers in Tests.

Lyon joins an elite list

Lyon is the fifth spinner on the top 10 list, after Muthiah Muralitharan (800), Shane Warne (708), Anil Kumble (619), and Ravichandran Ashwin (442). He is also the third off-spinner to enter the list.

Other bowlers on the list include James Anderson (651), Glenn McGrath (563), Stuart Board (549), Courtney Walsh (519), and Dale Steyn (439).

He is also the third Australian on the list after Warne and McGrath.

Cat and mouse game continues

Prior to the start of Australia’s 2-match Test tour to Sri Lanka, Lyon was sitting on 426 scalps and now sees himself at arm’s distance of Ashwin, who funny enough was behind him when India toured Australia in 2021-22.

The off-spinner has an almost identical number of wickets in home and away conditions, 216 and 205, wherein the remaining 15 have come at neutral venues.

The former groundsman at Adelaide has a good record against hosts Sri Lanka, taking 44 wickets from 12 Tests, out of which 33 have been on the latter’s home soil.

Interestingly, Lyon made his Test debut against Sri Lanka at Galle way back in 2011.

The 34-year-old has also played 29 One-Day Internationals (ODI) and 2 T20Is for the Kangaroos.