NathanLyon

After a long search for a regular spinner in the post-Shane Warne era, Australia finally found what they were looking for in 2011 when they opted for a groundsman-cum-off-spinner from country New South Wales.

Having shown his ability as a net bowler while working as a curator’s assistant at the Adelaide Oval, Lyon made an immediate impact in Twenty20 cricket for South Australia.

With just a handful of first-class matches under his belt, Lyon was rushed into Australia’s Test squad for the tour of Sri Lanka in 2011. The wiry tweaker showed no sign of nerves on Test debut, dismissing Kumar Sangakkara with his very first ball and finishing with figures of 5-34.

Lyon has since then been a mainstay in red-ball cricket for Australia, overtaking the legendary Hugh Trumble’s tally of 141 wickets in 2015 to become the nation’s most successful Test off-spinner.

Deservedly christened as the GOAT – greatest of all time – by his teammates, Lyon also went on to become the sixth Australian to scale the 300-wicket mark in Test cricket in 2017.

The milestones didn't end their for Lyon either, taking his 400th wicket against England in December 2021 and his 500th against Pakistan in late 2023. 

Lyon suffered the first major injury of his extensive career in his 100th consecutive Test during the 2023 Ashes series in England. Although he would be ruled out of the series, Lyon's hobbled walk through the Lord's Long Room to bat would become an iconic moment in the rivalry's storied history.  

Despite being an exceptional white-ball bowler for club and state, Lyon's appearances in Australia's limited-overs sides have been rare, with his most recent cap during the 2019 ODI World Cup.