Nathan Lyon surpasses Ravichandran Ashwin's in Test record

Australian spinner Nathan Lyon made history on Monday by surpassing India's Ravichandran Ashwin in the all-time Test wicket rankings.  

Lyon achieved this milestone with his outstanding performance in the fourth Test against India at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, where Australia clinched a dominant 184-run victory.  

The 37-year-old bowler played a key role in Australia’s triumph, finishing with figures of 3 for 96 in the first innings and 2 for 37 in the second. His most crucial wicket, which took him past Ravichandran Ashwin's 537 scalps, came in the 80th over of India’s second innings when Lyon trapped Mohammed Siraj LBW for a duck, sealing the victory for the Pat Cummins-led Australian side.

This wicket took Lyon’s career total to 538 Test wickets, surpassing Ashwin's record of 537. Ashwin, who retired on December 18, 2024, ended his career with 537 wickets in 106 matches.  

Lyon has now taken 538 wickets in 133 matches, placing him seventh on the all-time Test wicket-taker list. Only six bowlers have more wickets than Lyon.  

Most Wickets in Test Cricket:  

Muttiah Muralitharan (Sri Lanka) – 800  
Shane Warne (Australia) – 708  
James Anderson (England) – 704  
Anil Kumble (India) – 619  
Stuart Broad (England) – 604  
Glenn McGrath (Australia) – 563  
Nathan Lyon (Australia) – 538  
Ravichandran Ashwin (India) – 537  
Courtney Walsh (West Indies) – 519  

In addition to this achievement, Lyon matched Ashwin’s record for the most wickets in World Test Championship (WTC) history. Both players, along with Australian captain Pat Cummins, have now taken 195 wickets in WTC matches. Lyon reached this milestone in 47 matches, while Ashwin did so in 41, and Cummins in 46.  

Top WTC Wicket-Takers:

Ravichandran Ashwin (India) – 195  
Nathan Lyon (Australia) – 195  
Pat Cummins (Australia) – 195  
Mitchell Starc (Australia) – 162  
Jasprit Bumrah (India) – 154  

With the fifth Test against India set to begin on January 3, 2025, at the Sydney Cricket Ground, Lyon and Cummins have a chance to surpass Ashwin and take the lead as the highest wicket-taker in WTC history.