Australia defeated Bangladesh in the second test match by seven wickets to draw the series 1-1. Australia lost their first ever Test match against Bangladesh as they lost the first Test. But they came back hard in the second Test, all thanks to Nathan Lyon’s superb display of spin bowling. All in all, he picked up 22 wickets in the two match Test series.
Nathan Lyon has enjoyed bowling in Asia this year. He is now the highest wicket taker in 2017 with 46 wickets. Lyon picked up the best figures by an Australian bowler in Asia with 13 for 154 in the second Test match. He bettered the figures of Steve O’Keefe who took 12 for 70 in Pune against India earlier this year. This match figure was Lyon’s second ten wicket haul in his career which took his wickets tally for this year ahead of India’s Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin who are in joint-second place with 44 wickets. Kagiso Rabada is the only fast bowler in the top five with 39 scalps to his name.
Lyon has been the most successful bowler in Asia this year as he has picked up five five wicket hauls, ahead of Jadeja and Rangana Herath who have three five wicket hauls, Ashwin, O’Keefe and Shakib Al Hasan have two each.
Lyon also recorded his best bowling figures in an innings earlier this year against India when he picked up 8 for 50 in the second Test at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore. He took 19 wickets in four Test matches in India.
In the first innings against Bangladesh in the second Test, he took 7 for 94 which restricted Bangladesh to 305. In the second innings as well, he picked up 6 for 60 which meant Bangladesh were bundled out for 157 to set Australia a target of 86. Australia eventually won the match by seven wickets.
Lyon now has 83 wicket in Asia which is second best to the Australian legend Shane Warne who has 127 wickets to his name in this part of the world. Lyon in total has 269 wickets in 69 Test matches with an average of 31.83. After the second Test, Lyon now has 12 five wicket hauls to his name.
Australia hopes he continues his rich vein of form this year as the next Test series Australia play will be the Ashes later this year.