Off-spin GOAT eyes another milestone
AS INDIAN selectors decided to bypass the brilliance of Ravi Ashwin in England this week and were brought down by “Bazball” from the local batsmen, Nathan Lyon quickly crept within striking distance of his modern off-spinning rival and an incredible place in cricket history.
It’s not even a consideration for Australian selectors to leave Lyon out of any Test match, which is a mark of his worth beyond the wickets he’s taken in his 109 matches under a baggy green.
The former groundskeeper has taken 436 scalps, including a dazzling nine-wicket haul in the opening Test against Sri Lanka which skipped him past some of cricket’s greatest names on the all-time wickettaking list, and into the top 10.
Ashwin is eighth on that list, the second greatest off-spinner of all time, on wickets alone with 442, trailing just the man no-one will ever catch, Muttiah Muralitharan, who sits on top with 800. But while Ashwin remains a Test-by-Test prospect for his country – he is sidelined for now – Lyon needs just seven wickets in Galle to zoom past the Indian.
“I think for these conditions … it’s as good as I‘ve seen him bowl. He’s more adaptable,” Steve Smith said.
“I think the first few times he came (to Sri Lanka) it was just about bowing his best ball over and over again.
“While that’s going to be good there’s still more to him and he’s progressed really nicely the last few years.
“He’s got some more weapons in his armoury. He can bowl the ball that he gets underneath the bat a bit more, he just gives you more variation off the wicket – the one that bounces a bit more which we saw work really well here particularly when guys were trying to sweep. If we have something similar (in the pitch) I would expect him to take a lot more wickets again.”
Lyon has taken 33 wickets in seven matches in Sri Lanka.