NATHAN Lyon has been backed to become the third Australian bowler to take 400 Test wickets.

Lyon moved to equal fifth for Test wickets taken by an Australian on day four against Pakistan, claiming his 310th in the format when he removed Asad Shafiq.

He sits level with former fast-bowler Brett Lee, who took 310 at 30.81 across 76 Tests between 1999 and 2008. Lee expects Lyon to leave him well and truly in the rear-view mirror. ““(He’s) one of the best off-spinners of all time and his record is going to say that,” added Mark Waugh. “He could easily play another three or four years. He could easily get 400 wickets.”

If he does so he will go past Mitchell Johnson (313 at 28.40) and Dennis Lillee (355 at 23.92) to third on the list of Australia’s greatest Test wicket-takers, behind Glenn McGrath (563 at 21.64) and Shane Warne (708 at 25.41).

Lyon now sits fourth globally for Test wickets taken by a right-arm finger-spinner, behind India’s Ravichandran Ashwin (333 at 25.45) and Harbhajan Singh (417 at 32.46), and Sri Lanka’s Muttiah Muralitharan (800 at 22.72). He is one spot ahead of West Indian great Lance Gibbs (309 at 29.09).
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