Australia asserted control in the second Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, with Pat Cummins and Nathan Lyon putting Pakistan on the back foot at 194-6 on day two, still trailing by 124 runs.

At stumps, Mohammad Rizwan held firm at 29, while Aamer Jamal remained unbeaten at two. Cummins claimed key wickets, dismissing Abdullah Shafique (62), Babar Azam (one) and Agha Salman (five). Lyon also made an impact by removing Imam-ul-Haq (10) and Shan Masood (54), while Josh Hazlewood contributed by bowling Saud Shakeel for nine.

Reflecting on the day, Captain Cummins expressed satisfaction, stating,

“It feels like we’re well into their order now.”

He praised Australia’s batting performance, reaching 300 after a challenging start. The hosts had claimed seven wickets in the morning session, restricting Pakistan to 318.

Aamer Jamal led Pakistan’s bowling attack with 3-64 as Australia resumed on 187-3. Despite an optimistic start by openers Haq and Shafique, Lyon’s spin broke through, with Haq edging to Labuschagne at slip. Shafique and Masood built a partnership, but Cummins’ sharp catch and Lyon’s spin disrupted their momentum.

Marnus Labuschagne, the top-scorer with 63, continued his resilience from day one. He brought up his 17th Test half-century and anchored the innings. Travis Head showcased aggression but fell on 17. Despite the challenges, Labuschagne’s wicket eventually fell to Jamal.

Pakistan capitalized on the new ball, dismissing Carey, Starc and Marsh. A fiery over by Hasan Ali saw multiple appeals, but Marsh survived after reviewing two decisions. However, Jamal’s persistence paid off as he claimed Marsh’s wicket and the tail quickly followed.

Australia, having won the first Test by 360 runs in Perth, aim to maintain their dominance in the series. As Pakistan faces a challenging position, the third day promises crucial moments in the battle between bat and ball.

Australian off-spinner Nathan Lyon reached a historic milestone on Sunday, claiming his 500th Test wicket by dismissing Pakistan’s Faheem Ashraf in the first Test in Perth. Lyon, a 36-year-old veteran known for his longevity, joined an exclusive ‘legendary club’ comprising just seven other cricketers. His achievement came in his 123rd match, and he became only the third Australian cricketer to accomplish the feat, following the iconic Shane Warne (708) and Glenn McGrath (563).

Utilizing the Decision Review System (DRS), Lyon secured his 500th wicket, leading to dramatic scenes in the stadium as the third umpire overturned the on-field umpire’s decision.

The career Test wicket leaderboard stands as follows:

– 800 – Muttiah Muralitharan

– 708 – Shane Warne

– 690 – James Anderson*

– 619 – Anil Kumble

– 604 – Stuart Broad

– 563 – Glenn McGrath

– 519 – Courtney Walsh

– 501 – Nathan Lyon*

Before the Perth Test, Lyon acknowledged the significance of the milestone and credited India’s Ravichandran Ashwin for playing a role in his career. Lyon, just four wickets away from the 500-mark, expressed his respect for Ashwin and admitted to learning from him throughout their encounters worldwide.

Reflecting on their nearing shared achievement, Lyon expressed admiration for Ashwin and hinted at a post-career meeting over a beer to discuss their cricketing journeys.

“It’s pretty amazing to see we’re both creeping up to that 500 mark, and we’ll see where we end up. Hopefully, at the end of our career, we’ll sit down and have a nice feed and a beer and talk about it,” Lyon shared.

Nathan Lyon is getting ready to play a whole season of County Championship with Lancashire next year. He’ll be joining forces with his long-time rival Jimmy Anderson. Lyon also wants to keep playing Test cricket until the 2027 Ashes series in England.

He’s also planning to play in the BBL for his new team, Melbourne Renegades, against his old team, Sydney Sixers, who he says basically let him go. This will happen just before his Test match against Pakistan in mid-December.

Lyon is 35 years old and has made a successful return to Sheffield Shield cricket. He hadn’t played a first-class game since he injured his calf during the Ashes series at Lord’s in late June. Australia has several Tests lined up, but there’s a gap in their schedule from mid-March 2024 until the next home summer.

This gap provides a chance for Test specialists like Lyon to play county cricket. He has a contract offer from Lancashire, which he’s likely to sign.

Lyon stated, “There’s an offer on the table. I really wanted to see how this week went. It all went really well. So that’s a conversation when I get home with my wife tomorrow night. [We’ll] have a chat about heading over there. It’s looking pretty good that I’ll head over to Lancs hopefully, we’ll dot all the i’s, cross all the t’s, get that signed and head over there to play with Jimmy Anderson which will be good. At this stage, it’s a full season [contract] but there’s a lot of water to go under the bridge. But my intentions are to go over, play county cricket and go there and keep learning.”

Lyon was set to play county cricket earlier this year but decided to stay at home. His calf injury was a big setback, but it has motivated him to keep playing Test cricket, especially with India and England as his future targets.

Lyon wants to play as much cricket as he can. He has two more Shield games scheduled and is also looking forward to his BBL debut for Renegades.

Additionally, Lyon has been following the ODI World Cup as a fan and not waiting by the phone for a call to play. He expressed delight in seeing England lose to India in the tournament.