After racing his way to 390 Test wickets, Nathan Lyon was forced to wait almost two years to pass 400
In January 2020 the world was a different place. The
Australian men’s Test team had burned through a home summer against
Pakistan and
New Zealand - double centuries, triple centuries, innings victories, the works. Nathan Lyon, Australia’s off-spinner, finished it in style in the
Sydney Test. Five wickets in the first innings, five in the second, 10 for 113 in the match, 27 for the season, and up to 390 in his career. Just around the corner lay 400, that huge milestone that at the time had only been passed by 15 players.
Then the world was turned upside down. Australia’s next Test engagement in Bangladesh was cancelled, a place where Lyon took 22 wickets in two matches on his previous visit. Not in any overseas T20 leagues, he spent the winter cooling his heels. He played three Sheffield Shield matches towards the end of the year with plenty of overs returning nine wickets for 392 runs. Then it was into a series against
India, the specialists against spin.