Lyon joins 500 club as Australia thrash Pakistan

PERTH, December 17

Spinner Nathan Lyon joined the illustrious 500-wicket club today, picking up 2/18 on a seam-friendly Perth Stadium surface to help Australia bowl Pakistan out for a paltry 89 and cruise to a 360-run victory on Day 4 of the first Test.

Defending 450, Australia’s much-vaunted pace attack ripped through Pakistan’s batting lineup in the afternoon, allowing Lyon to trap tail-ender Faheem Ashraf lbw and celebrate his milestone before the tourists folded inside 31 overs.

“I don’t think it has hit me yet, but there has obviously been a lot of hard work go into the journey... It’s pretty special to take 500 in my first Test back,” Lyon said.

The world Test champions, now 1-0 up in the three-Test series, had declared after lunch on 233/5 in 63.2 overs, having posted 487 earlier and bowling the visitors out for 271 in the first innings.

Pakistan’s fourth innings run-chase started in shambolic fashion as they were reduced to 48/4 inside 15 overs before tea, and it did not get any better.

Josh Hazlewood (3/13) and Mitchell Starc (3/31) inflicted the most damage, but all eyes were on Lyon as he sought to join Shane Warne (708) and Glenn McGrath (563) among Australians with 500 wickets, and become the eighth player overall to reach the figure.

The 36-year-old lost a caught-behind review in the 26th over, but got his man in the 28th, going upstairs again to send Ashraf on his way for five, with Hawk-Eye showing contact with the stumps.

The off-spinner, returning from a torn calf which left him sidelined for most of this year’s drawn Ashes series in England, held the ball aloft and accepted the embrace of his teammates, and then clean-bowled Aamer Jamal (4) later in the over for good measure.

“I don’t think it’s any secret that he’s the most important cog in our bowling lineup,” Australia skipper Pat Cummins said. “It’s great having him back, another 500 to go.”

Consecutive strikes by Hazlewood to dismiss Saud Shakeel (24) and Khurram Shahzad (0) brought the match to a frenetic end.

Earlier, Pakistan’s debutant seamers Shahzad (3/45) and Jamal (1/28), outshining the more experienced Shaheen Afridi and Ashraf, accounted for the three Australian wickets to fall on the fourth day. Usman Khawaja (90) and Mitchell Marsh (63 not out) accumulated throughout the morning session, absorbing some body blows on an uneven pitch. — Reuters

Brief scores: Australia: 487 & 233/5 dec (Khawaja 90, Marsh 63*; Shahzad 3/45); Pakistan: 271 & 89 (Hazlewood 3/13, Starc 3/31)

500-wicket club

Muthiah Muralidaran (SL)
800 | 133 | 55.04*

Shane Warne (AUS)
708 | 145 | 57.49

James Anderson (ENG)
690 | 183 | 56.83

Anil Kumble (IND)
619 | 132 | 65.99

Stuart Broad (ENG)
604 | 167 | 55.79

Glenn McGrath (AUS)
563 | 124 | 51.95

Courtney Walsh (WI)
519 | 132 | 57.84

Nathan Lyon (AUS)
501 | 123 | 63.10

*Read under wickets, Tests and strike-rate

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