The '500 club' at a glance

Nathan Lyon (Pic: AFP)

Iconic Australian spinner Nathan Lyon achieved the significant milestone of 500 wickets in Test cricket during the AUS vs PAK 1st Test in Perth on Sunday. Lyon became the eighth bowler to reach this elite feat, joining the distinguished company of legendary players in the long-format cricket.

Lyon claimed his 500th wicket by dismissing Faheem Ashraf leg-before-wicket for a mere five runs while Australia defended a target of 450 in the AUS vs PAK 1st Test. This accomplishment places Lyon alongside his compatriots, the late spin maestro Shane Warne and pace legend Glenn McGrath, who have also achieved the milestone of 500 Test wickets. Australia emerged victorious in the match by 360 runs, and Lyon concluded with combined bowling figures of 5/80 across both innings.

Now, in 123 Tests, Lyon has taken 501 wickets at an average of 30.85 and a strike rate of 63.10. His best bowling figures are 8/50. He has 23 five-wicket hauls and four ten-wicket hauls in the longer format. He is the eighth-highest wicket-taker in the game.

Lyon is a fourth-most successful spinner of all time in Tests and the third-most successful Aussie bowler in whites. As cricket celebrates Lyon's beautiful journey from a pitch curator to the eighth entrant to the '500 Club' within a span of 12 years, let us look at other members of this club:

Muttiah Muralitharan

In 133 Tests, Muralitharan has taken 800 wickets at an average of 22.72 and a strike rate of 55.04. His best bowling figures are 9/51 in white clothing. With 67 fifers and 22 ten-wicket hauls, Murali is the most successful Test bowler ever.

Shane Warne

In second place in Aussie spin wizard Shane Warne, who played 145 Tests for the Aussies. In these matches, he took 708 wickets at an average of 25.41 and a strike rate of 57.49. His best bowling figures are 8/71. He has 37 five-wicket hauls and 10 ten-wicket hauls. Warne is the most successful Australian bowler ever.

James Anderson

England's ageless wonder is in third place, with 690 wickets across 183 Tests at an average of 26.42 and a strike rate of 56.83. His best bowling figures are 7/42. He has taken 32 five-wicket hauls and three ten-wicket hauls in Tests. Anderson is not only England's most successful bowler, but also the most successful pacer in the history of the game, still going strong at 41 years of age.

Anil Kumble

Nicknamed as 'Jumbo', Kumble lives upto this name with some really gigantic figures and records in Test and international cricket. With 619 wickets in 132 matches at an average of 29.65, he is India's best bowler ever statistically. His best figures are 10/74 and is the first-ever Indian to get a ten-wicket haul in a single Test inning. Attached to Kumble's name are 35 five-wicket hauls and eight ten-wicket hauls.

Stuart Broad

Stuart Broad is the second-most successful pacer in sport's history, with the first being his partner-in-pace, James Anderson. In 167 Tests, Broad has taken 604 wickets at an average of 27.68. His best bowling figures are 8/15. He has 20 five-wicket hauls and three ten-wicket hauls in Tests.

Glenn McGrath

The 'Pidgeon' as he is known to the fans, McGrath is the most successful Australian pacer ever and the equivalent of Shane Warne in fast bowling. In 124 matches, he took 563 wickets at an average of 21.64 and a strike rate of 51.95. His best bowling figures are 8/24. With 29 five-wicket hauls and three ten-wicket hauls, McGrath terrified batters worldwide for years.

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Courtney Walsh

The West Indies pacer was the first-ever bowler to take 500 Test wickets. In 132 Tests, he took 519 wickets at an average of 24.44 and a strike rate of 57.84. His best bowling figures are 7/37. He took 22 five-wicket hauls and three ten-wicket hauls in Tests.

(With agency inputs)