It is daunting for an Australian spinner to feature in 100 straight games for Australia in Tests, as the team is always known for its pace attack.
However, there is only one spinner who has achieved it. No, it is not the great Shane Warne, but Nathan Lyon. He is not the first Australian to do so, though.
Lyon’s ability to find treasures in the hardest of pitches is the prime reason for his longevity in the format. No Australian spinner has come any close to replacing him.
This article will reveal Nathan Lyon’s year-by-year performances in Test cricket.
Nathan Lyon Test Wickets by Years
| Year | MATCHES | WKTS | 5/10 WKT HAULS | BB | AVG | SR | ECON |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 8 | 23 | 1/0 | 5/34 | 27.48 | 51.83 | 3.18 |
| 2012 | 10 | 36 | 1/0 | 5/68 | 33.19 | 74.47 | 2.67 |
| 2013 | 11 | 42 | 2/0 | 7/94 | 34.02 | 61.67 | 3.31 |
| 2014 | 9 | 33 | 3/1 | 7/152 | 43.3 | 73.61 | 3.52 |
| 2015 | 13 | 48 | 0/0 | 4/66 | 28.73 | 55.98 | 3.07 |
| 2016 | 11 | 41 | 0/0 | 4/91 | 36.34 | 64.00 | 3.40 |
| 2017 | 11 | 63 | 5/1 | 8/50 | 23.56 | 52.22 | 2.70 |
| 2018 | 10 | 49 | 2/0 | 6/122 | 34.02 | 75.37 | 2.70 |
| 2019 | 12 | 45 | 2/0 | 6/49 | 33.27 | 68.73 | 2.90 |
| 2020 | 3 | 14 | 2/1 | 5/50 | 18.79 | 42.21 | 2.67 |
| 2021 | 5 | 17 | 0/0 | 4/91 | 36 | 91.82 | 2.35 |
| 2022 | 11 | 47 | 3/0 | 6/128 | 29.06 | 63.94 | 2.72 |
| 2023 | 10 | 47 | 2/1 | 8/64 | 24.95 | 51.00 | 2.93 |
| 2024 | 9 | 33 | 1/1 | 6/65 | 22.69 | 49.0 | 2.77 |
| 2025 | 3 | 15 | 0/0 | 4/78 | 22.26 | 42.8 | 3.12 |
| OVERALL | 136 | 553 | 24/5 | 8/50 | 30.19 | 61.6 | 2.93 |
Key Stats
Being a former pitch curator, Lyon succeeded in every condition he bowled in – almost the same number of wickets in home and away.
Especially in against the men in blue.
Lyon’s best year in Test cricket came in 2017 – topping the wicket-takers list that year.
His best bowling figures of 8/50 against India also came in that year.
