Lyon takes 500th Test wicket as Australia thrash Pakistan

First Test, Perth Stadium (day four of five):

Australia 487 & 233-5 dec: Khawaja 90, Shahzad 3-45

Pakistan 271 & 89: Shakeel 24, Hazlewood 3-13, Starc 3-31

Australia won by 360 runs

Scorecard

Australia’s Nathan Lyon passed 500 career Test wickets to help seal a 360-run first Test victory over Pakistan.

Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc both took three wickets each as Pakistan subsided meekly in Perth.

Australia go 1-0 up in the three-match series, with the second Test starting on Boxing Day.

Australia dominated with both bat and ball throughout the Test, with Usman Khawaja (90) and Mitchell Marsh (63 not out) both scoring half-centuries on day four as Australia declared on 233-5.

In response, Pakistan’s top order crumbled, their top four putting on just 28 runs between them. It was Pakistan’s lowest score in a Test since being bowled out for 81 by the West Indies in April 2017.

Lyon joins illustrious 500 club

Off-spinner Lyon became the eighth player to take 500 career Test wickets on the fourth day of the first Test.

Lyon claimed his milestone wicket when he removed Faheem lbw on review.

It makes Lyon just the third Australia to reach the landmark after Shane Warne (708) and Glenn McGrath (563).

Lyon had to wait to claim his 500th wicket in the second innings, having started on 499 following figures of 3-66 in the first innings.

He would likely have taken the wicket in last summer’s Ashes series in England had he not been injured in the second Test at Lord’s.

Bowler
Wickets

Muttiah Muralitharan (Sri Lanka)
800

Shane Warne (Australia)
708

James Anderson (England)
690

Anil Kumble (India)
619

Stuart Broad (England)
604

Glenn McGrath (Australia)
563

Courtney Walsh (West Indies)
519

Nathan Lyon (Australia)
501

Table up to end of first Test between Australia and Pakistan

‘I’m very, very proud of 500 wickets’ – reaction

Australia spin bowler Nathan Lyon told TNT Sport: “It’s something I’m pretty proud about. For a young kid growing up in the country in New South Wales, 500 wickets is a long way away. A lot of hard work, but something I’m very, very proud of. “I was pretty confident about the review, everyone said the height was okay, it was just whether or not it was sliding down leg. Thankfully, it was three reds. “It doesn’t matter where we are, 500 wickets is pretty amazing. To do it here and contribute to an impressive team win makes it a lot better.”

Australia captain Pat Cummins told ABC’s Grandstand: “I didn’t even know he was on 499. I’m joking, it’s all he’s spoken about for six months. He bowled really well all game. The wicket didn’t offer the off-spinner much assistance.

“It’s huge, 500 Test wickets, all over the world, over a decade, in all conditions. He’s been waiting for that one for six months with his calf injury and he has just bowled as well as he ever has.”