LONDON: Nathan Lyon, who equalled Dennis Lillee at No 3 on Australia’s all-time wicket-takers’ list on day two of the second Test at Lord’s, believes he hasn’t peaked yet and can do better.
Lyon now has 355 Test wickets with only Glenn McGrath (563) and Shane Warne (708) ahead of him — two men he thinks are the “true legends” of the game.
“I haven’t had the time to sit back and think about it. I really struggle to see myself up with the likes of Warne, McGrath and Lillee,” he said. “It doesn’t sit well with me. In my eyes those guys are true legends of the game and I’m just some bloke trying to bowl off-breaks and make people proud of the Australian cricket team.”
Lyon, who made his Test debut in 2011, has come a long way since he surpassed Hugh Trumble’s 141 wickets in 2015 and became Australia’s leading wicket-taking off-spinner. He insisted that he has more to offer.
“Every day I wake up, I try and get better,” he said. “Whether it’s batting, bowling, fielding, I try and get better and try and improve my cricket game.
“I feel like I can still get better, I still feel like I’m learning about bowling, about batting, about fielding. I feel like I’m still in the learning stage, I don’t think I’ve hit my peak yet to be honest, of my career.
“I’m very confident with the way the ball’s coming out of my hand, don’t get me wrong. And I’m very happy with where my skill set is at — I just feel like I can get better.”
The 31-year-old picked up 3-68 and cleaned up the tail on day two of the Ashes Test on Thursday as England were bowled out for 258. But he was more interested in heaping praise on Josh Hazlewood, who was the star bowler for Australia.
“I think Josh has been a world-class bowler for a long period of time. I don’t think he’s got the rewards he’s deserved as yet in his career. I think they’re to come.”
Hazlewood, who was overlooked for Australia’s World Cup campaign and then ignored for the first Ashes Test, returned figures of 3-58 and was instrumental in decimating England’s top order.
“I think in my eyes Josh is up there in the top three bowlers in Test cricket, that’s my personal opinion. His control — hitting that nagging length — but having the skill to go both ways ... then he’s got a pretty strong bouncer as well, and it’s always usually on the money ... Josh has been outstanding,” Lyon added.