Ashes: Nathan Lyon joins illustrious club with Test haul

Australia spinner leads dramatic turnaround by taking five for 50.

MELBOURNE:

Nathan Lyon hasn’t always felt secure in the Australia Test team but on Saturday he joined an illustrious company with his 100th Test wicket in leading a dramatic turnaround in the fourth Ashes Test.

Often under-appreciated and dropped for other lesser spinners, Lyon became only the sixth off-spinner to take 100 Test wickets for his country in his second innings haul of five for 50 to bowl Australia into a winning position in the fourth Ashes Test against England in Melbourne.

Lyon joined Hugh Trumble, George Giffen, Ashley Mallett, Bruce Yardley and Ian Johnson to reach the milestone.

Australia will go after 201 runs on Sunday’s fourth day in their bid to take a 4-0 series lead.

“Not sure if it has sunk in yet with the whole emotion of the Ashes Test match, it’s still riding pretty high,” said Lyon told.

“I am pretty proud of the achievement. It’s fantastic and amazing to be honest.”

“It seemed like a long way away when I first started but lucky enough to get there (100 Test wickets) and no one can take them of me.”

Lyon and paceman Mitchell Johnson spearheaded an Australian fight back after trailing by 51 runs in the first innings to skittle the tourists for 179 in 61 overs in their second innings.

Lyon now has 16 wickets, while Johnson took three for 25 and now has 31 wickets in the series.

The Australians, needing 231 to win, reached stumps on 30 without losing a wicket with Chris Rogers on 18 and David Warner on 12.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 29^th, 2013.

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