Veteran Australian Nathan Lyon made history by setting a new World Test Championship (WTC) record after taking seven wickets in the first Test against Sri Lanka. He also passed Indian bowler Ravichandran Ashwin to become the player with the most Test wickets in Sri Lanka.
Nathan Lyon Sets WTC Record with Historic 7-Wicket Haul
Australia dominated the first Test match against Sri Lanka at Galle, winning by a huge 242 runs. Matthew Kuhnemann and Nathan Lyon were key in breaking down the Sri Lankan batting order. Lyon had an impressive performance, taking three wickets in the first innings and four in the second.
Nathan Lyon made history by surpassing Ravichandran Ashwin on the list of most Test wickets in Sri Lanka. While Ashwin had 38 wickets, Lyon now has 42 wickets in Sri Lanka from nine matches, including two five-wicket hauls. He also went beyond the legendary Shane Warne, who had 37 wickets in the country.
Most Wickets by Visiting Spinners in Sri Lanka
| Player | Team | Matches | Wickets | Best Bowling Inning (BBI) | Average | 5-Wicket Hauls |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nathan Lyon | Australia | 9 | 42 | 5/34 | 29.90 | 2 |
| Ravichandran Ashwin | India | 6 | 38 | 6/46 | 21.57 | 3 |
| Saeed Ajmal | Pakistan | 8 | 38 | 5/146 | 32.39 | 2 |
| Shane Warne | Australia | 8 | 37 | 5/43 | 21.45 | 5 |
| Yasir Shah | Pakistan | 5 | 33 | 7/76 | 24.69 | 3 |
| Mitchell Starc | Australia | 6 | 32 | 6/50 | 16.68 | 3 |
Nathan Lyon made history by becoming the first spinner and only the second bowler overall to reach 200 wickets in the World Test Championship.
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The 37-year-old surpassed his teammate Pat Cummins to become the leading wicket-taker in WTC history, with 203 wickets from 49 matches. Cummins has taken 200 wickets in 47 matches, while India’s Ravichandran Ashwin sits in third place with 195 wickets.
Most Wickets in ICC World Test Championship (2019-2025)
| Player | Matches | Wickets | Best Bowling Inning (BBI) | Average | 5-Wicket Hauls |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nathan Lyon | 49 | 203 | 8/64 | 26.89 | 10 |
| Pat Cummins | 47 | 200 | 6/91 | 22.63 | 9 |
| Ravichandran Ashwin | 41 | 195 | 7/71 | 21.49 | 11 |
| Mitchell Starc | 44 | 168 | 6/48 | 26.92 | 4 |
| Jasprit Bumrah | 35 | 156 | 6/27 | 18.61 | 10 |
| Kagiso Rabada | 33 | 151 | 6/46 | 22.27 | 7 |
Australia has already secured their place in the World Test Championship (WTC) final, where they will face South Africa at Lord’s. In their latest match, the Aussies declared their first innings at a massive 654/6. Usman Khawaja scored a double century, supported by Josh Inglis’s debut hundred and Steve Smith’s 141.
Despite a solid 72 from Dinesh Chandimal, Sri Lanka were bowled out for 165 in their first innings. The hosts were then dismissed for 247 in their second innings. Nathan Lyon, Australia’s third-highest wicket-taker in Tests, also reached 50 Test wickets against Sri Lanka, now holding 53 wickets at an average of 32.81.
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