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Nathan Lyon 1st Australian off-spinner to 200 wickets

Lyon was a groundsman at the Adelaide Oval when he was spotted Big Bash League (BBL) team Redbacks' coach Darren Berry as an off-spinner, in 2010.

Nathan Lyon © AFP
Nathan Lyon © AFP

Nathan Lyon created history when he became the first off-spinner from Australia to take 200 wickets in Test cricket, during the rain-truncated third day of the opening Test against Sri Lanka at Pallekele. He is overall the fifth spinner from Australia to touch the 200-mark, the other four being Shane Warne, Richie Benaud, Clarrie Grimmett and Stuart MacGill. Lyon achieved the feat when he removed the Sri Lankan debutant Dhananjaya de Silva on the third day of the first Test of this ongoing Warne-Muralitharan Trophy 2016. Overall, Lyon is the 15th Australian bowler to have taken 200 wickets in Test cricket. FULL CRICKET SCORECARD: Sri Lanka vs Australia, 1st Test at Pallekele

Lyon went into the first Test with 195 wickets in Test cricket, and in Sri Lanka’s first innings he claimed three wickets. In their second innings, that is, on Thursday, Lyon claimed the wickets of Sri Lankan captain Angelo Mathews before snaffling the debutant at the Pallekele Stadium. ALSO READ: Nathan Lyon becomes most successful off-spinner for Australia in Test cricket

The 28-year-old Lyon made his debut in 2011 during Australia’s tour of Sri Lanka under Michael Clarke, and remained one of the trusted bowlers of the former Australian captain. He was a part of the winning Ashes side at home in 2013-14, and was also there in the side when they lost in England in 2013 and 2015 in England. ALSO READ: Nathan Lyon – From groundsman to star at Adelaide Oval

Lyon was a groundsman at the Adelaide Oval when he was spotted Big Bash League (BBL) team Redbacks’ coach Darren Berry as an off-spinner, in 2010. He was picked up in the South Australian side for T20s, and soon he made his First-Class debut. Only seven months later, he was in the Australian squad to tour Sri Lanka in 2011.

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