PERTH: Nathan Lyon took his 500th Test wicket on Sunday as Australia dismissed a rattled Pakistan for just 89 to post a thumping 360-run win in the opening Test at Perth.
Pakistan’s bid to win a first Test in Australia since 1995 was left in tatters by spin king Lyon and the home side’s formidable pace attack, who wrapped up the game inside four days.
The hosts resumed day four on 84-2, with the declaration coming soon after lunch when opener Usman Khawaja was out for 90.
Mitchell Marsh was unbeaten on 63 when skipper Pat Cummins made the call with Khurram Shahzad the best of the bowlers with 3-45.
Earlier, Usman Khawaja and Mitchell Marsh steered Australia to an ominous lead. Khawaja was unbeaten on a fighting 68, with Marsh not out 42, in a partnership worth 79.
Opener Khawaja began on 34 and Steve Smith 43 after the hosts bowled out Pakistan for 271 on the cusp of tea Saturday, well short of Australia’s first innings total of 487.
But on a deteriorating pitch with cracks appearing, it was hard going early on Sunday, with pace bowlers beating the bat and causing problems.
Impressive debutant Khurram Shahzad got a breakthrough in the fourth over of the day, trapping Smith lbw for 45 with a ball that nipped back.
Smith reviewed but replays showed it clipping the top of the bails with the Australian veteran shaking his head and muttering to himself as he trudged off. Enter the aggressive Travis Head, who stroked a straight drive boundary off the second ball he faced to signal his intent.
But he lived dangerously and a misjudged drive off Aamer Jamal went straight to Imam-ul-Haq at cover, out for 14.
Both Marsh and Khawaja survived reviews in the same eventful Jamal over as Pakistan ratcheted up the pressure. Marsh hit sixes off Jamal then spinner Agha Salman to keep the scoreboard moving, before a huge escape on 23 when skipper Shan Masood dropped a sitter at mid-off.
Lyon joins elite in 500-wicket club
Nathan Lyon has become the eighth bowler, and third Australian, to reach 500 Tests wickets after removing Faheem Ashraf on the fourth day of the opening Test against Pakistan in Perth.
Lyon had been stalled on 496 wickets after his Ashes-ended calf injury earlier this year, but continued his fine record at the Optus Stadium. He moved to 499 wickets in Pakistan’s first innings when he claimed Abdullah Shafique, Imam-ul-Haq and Aamer Jamal. For a little while it appeared he may run out of wickets as Australia’s quicks ran through Pakistan’s second innings, but in his seventh over he won an lbw decision against Ashraf via the DRS.
Lyon joined Shane Warne (708) and Glenn McGrath (563) as Australia players in the 500 club while he is the fourth spinner in the list which also includes Muthiah Muralidaran and Anil Kumble. Before the Test, Lyon had said he had not dwelled much on the looming landmark but rather his excitement at returning to the game after injury, although he knew the significance it held.
Lyon made his Test debut against Sri Lanka at Galle in 2011 and claimed a wicket with his first ball when he had Kumar Sangakkara caught at slip. Although it took him a couple of years to become a permanent fixture in the side, his success ended a revolving door of spinners in the Test side following Warne’s retirement.
The next closest to joining the group on 500 wickets is fellow offspinner R Ashwin who currently sits on 489 ahead of India’s two-Test series in South Africa then five matches at home against England from late January.
