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Nathan Lyon (Source: Twitter)
Australia's spin wizard Nathan Lyon is oat the verge of making an entry to an elite list of bowlers. The off-spinner is just four wickets away from completing 500 Test wickets. He is set to become the 8th bowler to reach this milestone and only the fourth spinner after Shane Warne, Muttiah Muralitharan, and Anil Kumble to do so.
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With Pakistan's 2023-24 tour of Australia, which includes a three-match Test series, set to begin on Thursday (December 14), Lyon is likely to breach the 500-wicket mark in the coming days. The 36-year-old has been named in the starting XI for the series opener in Perth.
Meanwhile, when asked who has been the biggest inspiration behind a stellar career in the whites, Lyon named another veteran in the business but not expected by many. He named India's spin specialist Ravichandran Ashwin as someone he learned a lot from.
“You look at Ashwin, he’s a world-class bowler and somebody I’ve watched closely from the start of his career. We’ve gone head-to-head many times in different conditions around the world. I’ve got nothing but respect for Ashwin and the way he’s gone about it. I’ve definitely learned from him," Lyon was quoted by cricket.com.au on the eve of the first Test.
He’s probably been one of my biggest coaches: Lyon lauds Ashwin
Notably, Ashwin and Lyon began their Test career in the same year and only England pacer Stuart Broad has more wickets in the format since then. Interestingly, the Tamil Nadu cricketer is also approaching the same milestone with 489 wickets under his belt from 94 matches. Although he has been included in India's Test squad for the upcoming series against South Africa, Lyon is more likely to touch the feat first.
“There’s an opportunity to learn from the people you play against, and without knowing it he’s probably been one of my biggest coaches in a way. It’s pretty amazing to see we’re both creeping up to that 500 mark, and we’ll see where we end up. Hopefully at the end of our career we’ll sit down and have a nice feed and a beer and talk about it,” Lyon added.