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Lyon closes in on Benaud Test milestone

Nathan Lyon is just two wickets away from becoming Australia's second-most prolific Test spinner behind Shane Warne.

Australia's Nathan Lyon
Nathan Lyon is just two wickets away from overtaking Richie Benaud's mark of 248 Test scalps. (AAP)

The humble GOAT of Australian cricket is closing in on another spin milestone as Australia prepare to face Bangladesh.

Already the nation's best-ever offspinner - earning him the Greatest of All Time nickname from teammates - Nathan Lyon needs just two more wickets to surpass Richie Benaud as the second-best spinner in Australian Test history.

With 247 wickets to his name it is unlikely Lyon - or perhaps anyone - will come close to matching Shane Warne's enormous tally of 708 Test dismissals.

To overtake Benaud would still be a huge feat for a player whose spot in the side was up for debate less than a year ago.

After struggling during a 3-0 series loss in Sri Lanka, Lyon was on the cusp of being dropped in the recent summer.

But changes to his technique which netted him 19 wickets during this year's tour of India paid off, with Australian coach Darren Lehmann backing him as the squad's "premier spinner".

With the Australian squad preparing for the first of two Tests against Bangladesh starting in Dhaka on Sunday, Lyon played down his looming milestone.

"Got to get there first," he said.

"It'll be nice but I've always said from day one ... at the end of my career, I'll look back and see where I get to.

"But I'm not here to make milestones, I'm here to win series and games of cricket for Australia."

Lyon said he was lucky to have spoken with Benaud on a couple of occasions, although the prospect of their records colliding was not yet on the radar back then.

"I was a long way off him then - I don't think he ever thought I'd get there," Lyon said.

"He was just a nice, humble guy.

"Obviously he was an Australian cricket legend. He was someone very special to the Australian cricket team."

MOST TEST WICKETS TAKEN BY AUSTRALIAN SPINNERS

* Shane Warne, 708 wickets

* Richie Benaud, 248

* Nathan Lyon, 247*

* Clarrie Grimmett, 216

* Stuart MacGill, 208


2 min read

Published

Source: AAP



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