Australia v Pakistan Test cricket as it happened: Australia demolish Pakistan for Lyon’s magic 500-mark

Thank you one, thank you all, that’s stumps from the Maroubra bureau too.

Supreme performance from Australia to start the summer, from David Warner and Mitch Marsh’s belligerence to Usman Khawaja’s tempered brilliance and a four-prong attack in peak form, they had Pakistan covered at every turn.

The visitors toiled hard and their debutants Khurram Shahzad and Aamer Jamal punched well above their weight, but across the board, they were simply outclassed.

They should be better for the run at least, particularly with another two-day practice match against Victoria - potentially featuring Will Pucovski and Marcus Harris - just added to the schedule ahead of the Boxing Day Test.

Until then.

It took modern technology to award Nathan Lyon his 500th wicket after long minutes of tension as Australia trounced Pakistan by 360 runs in the first Test on a difficult Perth Stadium pitch.

Pakistan were bowled out for just 89 in 30.1 overs on day four as Australia followed their World Cup triumph by going 1-0 up in the three-Test series.

The disappointing crowd of 9244 hidden in the 60,000 seat stadium clapped and cheered every Lyon delivery, but it wasn’t until Pakistan had already lost six wickets that the moment finally arrived.

Even then, it took a review by captain Pat Cummins to overturn a not out lbw decision against Faheem Ashraf by umpire Richard Illingworth which finally sparked the celebrations. And after three days of striving for the four wickets he needed for the remarkable milestone, Lyon claimed two wickets in one over when he bowled Aamer Jamal.

Read the full match report here.

And while we’re celebrating the great man, how about a throwback to numero uno for Nathan Lyon? A wicket with his first ever ball in Tests, and a fair one at that.

How about those curls too?

Nathan Lyon became the third Australian man to 500 Test wickets on Sunday. He could well will be the last.

A humble champion, Lyon would find it uncomfortable if great mates Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood did not join him in the exclusive group, but if age does not stop them the market forces of the global cricket economy likely will.

Nathan Lyon is clapped off at the end of the day.Credit: Getty

It took 134 years for Courtney Walsh to become the first player to reach the milestone, but five years later in 2006 he had Shane Warne, Muttiah Muralitharan, Glenn McGrath and Anil Kumble for company.

Back then, Twenty20 was a term better associated with optometry than cricket. In the past 17 years, only England pair James Anderson and Stuart Broad have been inducted in the 500-club – until now.

What Lyon, Anderson and Broad all have in common, apart from plenty of Ashes yarns for the lucrative after-dinner speaking circuit, is their focus on the red ball over the white.

From nations where Test cricket is cherished, the trio had their minds shaped at a time when international cricket was king. But future generations will hone their skills knowing the considerable riches on offer in global T20 leagues.

Read the full story here.

The hometown hero is awarded man-of-the-match. He said yesterday he probably didn’t think he’d get to play on home soil again given he was out of the Test team. This is his first Test in Perth in six years.

153 runs for one dismissal and the key wicket of Babar Azam in the first innings. And a quick stat on the big man.

Marsh on the attack.Credit: Getty

41.8: The difference in Marsh’s average since returning to the Test team during the Ashes earlier this year. His 403 runs since winter have come at 67 each hit, bumped up by another not out here. His previous 1260 runs - from 32 Tests - came at 25.2.

Another one stays low as Josh Hazlewood hunts a quick kill. Ball tracking shows Shakeel is dead to rights when he’s trapped in front. Hitting halfway up leg stump that and no bat anywhere near it.

He uses the DRS, because why not, but that was always out.

Just one wicket left now Shakeel’s on his way for a fighting 24. Pakistan’s been better than this collapse and the final winning margin will indicate.

Hazlewood takes just one ball to finish the job. Khurram Shahzad wafting at a short ball and a simple catch for David Warner.

That’s it. All out for 89. Australia win by 360 runs.

Some quality numbers nerding here by Iain Payten, some of the best stats of Nathan Lyon’s 500 wickets.

1

Nathan Lyon’s wicket with his first ball in Test cricket in 2011Credit: FoxSports

Number of balls in Test cricket it took Nathan Lyon to claim his first wicket. Lyon was the 17th man in Test cricket to take a wicket with their first delivery when he claimed Kumar Sangakkara in Galle in 2011. Lyon went on to claim 5-32.

23

The number of times Lyon has taken five wickets in an innings. It is the 18th highest tally in Test history.

8

Lyon’s most wickets in an innings came when he took 8-50 against India in 2017 at M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore.

13

Unlucky for some – but mostly Indian batsman Cheteshwar Pujara. That’s the number of times Nathan Lyon has taken the wicket of his most claimed bunny, having faced off against him in 23 Tests.

38

The number of pink-ball wickets taken by Lyon. He has the second-highest tally of wickets in day-night Tests, behind Mitchell Starc. The pair have played the most (11) pink-ball Tests, however.

2017

Statistically the most prolific calendar year in Nathan Lyon’s career, when he claimed 63 Test wickets at an average of 23.5, with five five-wicket hauls. It featured an 18-wicket tally on a tour of India, and the majority of Australia’s successful defence of the Ashes at home.

Read the full story here.

Feels like one of those tense Tests from India at the start of the year. Massive shout for LBW against Ashraf. No bat in that and looks very, very close for LBW.

The replays and ball-tracking confirm it, hitting the top of leg after hitting in line. The decision is overturned and Nathan Lyon has his 500th Test wicket. Scenes.

Especially when Lyon rips through Jamal with a proper mully grubber. Gone for four. That’s tough on him but good fun for Lyon given all the tension of the past 24 hours. Pakistan on the ropes.

Pakistan: 8-83 (Shakeel 21*, Afridi 0*) need 367 runs to win.