How did a grass cutter become the eighth most successful bowler in Test cricket? Such is the story of Nathan Lyon

Nathan Lyon’s Journey: The credit goes to Nathan Lyon for bringing back Australia in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2023. This spinner played the most important role in defeating Team India by taking 11 wickets in the third match of this four-match Test series. In this Test held in Indore, Australia won by 9 wickets. Here Nathan Lyon was adjudged ‘Player of the Match’ for his strong bowling. Here we are telling a brief story of the struggle of this match-winning Australian spinner…

Nathan Lyon made his Test debut for Australia at the age of 23. In September 2011, he was included in the squad for Australia’s tour of Sri Lanka and then was also given a place in the playing-11. Since then, Nathan Lyon has remained a regular player of the Australia team, but before his Test debut, Lion used to work as a grass cutter at the Adelaide Cricket Ground in Australia.

Lion had been playing cricket from the junior level, but along with this he also used to do grass cutting work to meet his expenses. He has also told in an interview that he used to start the work of cutting the ghat from 5:30 in the morning and he never faced any problem with this work.

Got a chance to make international debut like this
Nathan Lyon had played a lot of cricket at the junior level, but he was not able to progress further. After a long time, Australia’s home team Redbacks needed a spin bowler for a practice match, so Redbacks coach Darren Berry selected Nathan Lyon. Here Nathan impressed so much with his bowling that within 7 months he got a chance to make his international debut.

Eighth most successful bowler in Test cricket
Nathan Lyon has played 118 Test matches for Australia so far. Here he has got 479 wickets. He is at number 8 among the bowlers who have taken the most wickets in Test cricket. For Australia, he remains the third most successful Test bowler after Shane Warne (708 wickets) and Glenn McGrath (563 wickets). This veteran spinner has spread his wings on the domestic grounds, as well as he has played a lot on the Asian grounds as well.

Number-1 spinner of the visiting team in Asia
Nathan Lyon is the guest bowler with the most Test wickets in Asia. Nathan Lyon has wreaked havoc in Test matches played in India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. Lion has taken 137 wickets in 27 Test matches in Asia. In this case, he has recently broken Shane Warne’s record of 127 wickets in 25 Tests.

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