Nathan up with game’s greats

NATHAN Lyon overcame the odds and tactical criticism from Shane Warne to stun India and leap ahead of alltime greats with a 13th fivewicket Test haul in Adelaide.

Lyon – with 20 wickets in his past three Tests – is a clutch performer in a side struggling without world- class duo Steve Smith and David Warner.

Lyon has moved past former England spearhead Bob Willis to 326 Test wickets with white lightning Allan Donald ( 330), Indian off- spin counterpart Ravi Ashwin ( 341) and Australian great Dennis Lillee ( 355) in his sights.

Lyon had three second innings verdicts from umpire Nigel Llong against Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane overturned through the Decision Review System.

Skipper Tim Paine also missed a stumping chance on Ravi Ashwin but Lyon still finished with 6/ 122 in India’s second innings 307.

Lyon and Ashwin have gone head to head in the first Test with honours and admiration shared.

“Ashwin has been a world class bowler for many years now. I have taken pleasure watching and learning from him,” 81- Test veteran Lyon said.

“There is a lot of mutual respect for both of us, he is a great guy, competitor and superstar.”

Lyon’s tough run against the DRS at Adelaide Oval rivalled England spearhead Jimmy Anderson’s four wickets that were overturned in last summer’s Ashes series.

Lyon wouldn’t bow to bad luck, claiming Pujara to end an 87- run stand with Rahane that triggered a 7- 73 collapse and hauled Australia back into the contest.

Lyon is now fourth on the Test wicket tally with 43 behind Warne’s record 56 at the ground he used to curate.

Warne lauded Lyon’s performance saying “he’d done a great job”. However 708- wicket Test great Warne argued Lyon’s wickets could have come quicker if a fielder had been stationed close on the offside during India’s second innings.

“Nathan Lyon has been a class act and has been one of the best spinners in the world but you have to have a ( offside) bat pad. I don’t understand it,” said Warne on Fox Cricket.

“You don’t have to be Einstein, a club cricketer knows out in the park that if you bowl it out there it is hard to play and the batsman changes what they have to do.”

Lyon set up Pujara over six balls of perfection with a silly mid- off – Peter Handscomb – in place. The presence of Handcomb forced Pujara into nervous pushes before edging to Aaron Finch.

Rohit Sharma’s nervous offside prod to Handscomb appeared to vindicate Warne’s analysis.

“It is not nice to have a man in there under your eye line,” said Warne.