Nathan Lyon spent five months parked on 562 Test wickets. Inside six balls at Adelaide Oval, he pushed that figure to 564 and overtook Glenn McGrath to sit second on Australia’s all-time list, with only Shane Warne still in front.
Recalled after being omitted from Brisbane’s pace-heavy line-up, the off-spinner needed little warm-up. His first delivery of the day found Ollie Pope spooning a simple catch to mid-wicket – an unexpected gift that drew him level with McGrath. Five balls later came something far more satisfying: from round the wicket he drifted one in, Ben Duckett played forward, and the ball kissed the outside edge before clipping the top of off. Classic dismissal of a left-hander, and the moment Lyon moved clear in outright second.
“It’s nice, but there’s still a job to do,” was Lyon’s typically understated take when cornered at stumps. Earlier in the week, reflecting on his spot in a side where the quicks often dominate the headlines, he insisted, “No point to prove in third Ashes Test,” adding that his brief in pink-ball matches remains unchanged: apply pressure, take wickets when they come.
The 36-year-old has spoken about stretching his career to the 2027 Ashes in England. On current trends, the 600-wicket mark – next on the global list – feels well within reach. Australia’s calendar from next August is packed with Tests, offering plenty of overs for a bowler who still believes his best work can lie ahead.
Avenue of Honour boards at Adelaide already bear Lyon’s name for his 12-wicket haul against India in 2014. Friday’s burst only deepened that connection, while reminding selectors of the perils of a spin-free attack.
Warne’s 708 wickets remain a distant beacon, and Lyon is the first to admit the gap is sizeable. Yet as he walked off with figures of 2 for 2 from one over, a modest grin on his face, it was clear the chase is alive – and, just maybe, gathering pace again.
