Ace Australian spinner Nathan Lyon continued his star work with the ball as on final day of the first Test against West Indies he went on to eclipse India's Ravichandran Ashwin's to become the eighth highest wicket-taker in the longest format of the game. He has also grabbed a rare feat of becoming the fourth highest wicket-taker in Tests as a spinner.
Lyon now has 444 wickets, taking him past Ashwin's tally of 442 Test scalps. However, Ashwin will have the chance to surpass Lyon when he takes the field for India in the first Test match against Bangladesh which is slated to start from December 14. The Australian off-spinner snared the wicket of Jermaine Blackwood to go level with Ashwin before dismissing Kyle Mayers to become the eighth-highest wicket-taker in Test history.
Lyon (444*) is the fourth highest-wicket spinner in Test cricket after Muttiah Muralitharan (800 wickets in 133 Tests), Shane Warne (708 wickets in 145 Tests) and Anil Kumble (619 wickets in 132 Tests). Lyon's double strike in the morning session put Australia on course for victory against West Indies in the Perth Test. Lyon sent back both overnight batters, Kyle Mayers (10) and Kraigg Brathwaite (110) back to the pavilion, while Travis Head struck to remove Jason Holder (3). Australia are now just 4 wickets away from a thumping win while West Indies require 250-plus runs to script a historic victory in the Perth Test.
