Nathan Lyon has become the third Australian to take 500 Test wickets as Australia romped to a convincing 360-run victory over Pakistan with a day to spare in the first Test in Perth.
Lyon trapped Faheem Ashraf LBW on review to claim his milestone wicket, adding extra emphasis by clean bowling Faheem Ashraf later in the same over.
The 36-year-old joins Shane Warne and Glenn McGrath on over 500 Test wickets and is the eighth player in history to achieve the feat.
“It’s something I’m pretty proud about,” Lyon said.
“For a young kid growing up in the country New South Wales, 500 wickets is a bloody long way away so, a lot of hard work but something I’m very proud about.”
Earlier, Usman Khawaja fell just short of a century, while player of the match Mitch Marsh scored an unbeaten 63 as Australia made 5-233.
Chasing an unlikely victory target of 450, Pakistan were never a chance on a rapidly deteriorating pitch that was cracking badly, being bowled out for just 89 in 30.2 overs.
Mitch Starc got opening wicket of Abdullah Shafique (2) with the final ball of the first over of the innings and the Aussies never looked back.
Josh Hazlewood handed Alex Carey his 100th Test dismissal with a regulation catch as Shan Masood (2) feathered through to him behind the stumps.
Imam-ul-Haq followed just seven balls later, trapped LBW for 10 by Starc as Australia’s opening bowlers tore through the Pakistani top order inside the opening seven overs.
Babar Azam tried to provide some resistance only to fall on 14, some extra bounce from a Pat Cummins delivery catching his thumb to give Carey a third catch of the innings and leave Pakistan 4-53 at tea.
Starc struck for his third wicket after tea, having Sarfaraz Ahmed (4) caught by Marsh at gully after some more extra bounce saw the ball rear up and grab the tourist’s glove.
Pakistan did not need to give Australia any favours, yet Agha Salman was run out after a mix up with Shakeel, who hooked to Travis Head at backward square leg and, after initially saying yes, turned down the single, with Head finding Labuschagne to strand Salman at the non-strikers end.
Lyon had been made to wait, bowling just five overs in the innings before being removed from the attack.
However, once he returned he wasted little time, trapping Ashraf in front and then clean bowling Aamir Jamal for 4 later in the same over to put a cap on a stunning achievement.
“I was pretty confident about it [being out], Lyon said. “Thankfully it was three reds.”
Shakeel battled hard but was deceived by a Hazlewood ball that stayed low, being dismissed LBW for 24.
Earlier, Khawaja maintained his sensational record against Pakistan with a score of 90 — his seventh half century against the land of his birth in just his ninth Test.
He had resumed on 34 with Steve Smith, but the former skipper could only add two further runs to his overnight score to be out LBW for 45.
Smith was disappointed with the decision made by umpire Joel Wilson, reviewing instantly, and was further incensed when ball tracking showed the ball clipping the top of the leg stump bail but the finest of margins.
Travis Head came and went for a 19-ball 14 before Mitch Marsh scored his second half century of the game — the first time he has done so in Test cricket — with an unbeaten 63.
Marsh was twice struck on the helmet, joining Smith, Khawaja and Marnus Labuschagne in being hit due to the variable bounce, highlighting the difficulty the pitch was providing.
Once Khawaja was dismissed, caught in the deep as Australia accelerated, Cummins called his side in at 5-233.
The two teams now move to Melbourne for the Boxing Day Test on December 26.
