By Joel Dubber
PERTH (Reuters) – Nathan Lyon joined the illustrious 500-wicket club on Sunday, picking up 2-18 on a seam-friendly Perth Stadium surface to help Australia bowl Pakistan out for 89 and cruise to a 360-run victory on day four of the first test.
Defending a victory target of 450, Australia’s much-vaunted seam attack destroyed Pakistan’s top-order in the afternoon, allowing Lyon to trap tail-ender Faheem Ashraf lbw and celebrate his milestone before the tourists folded inside 31 overs.
Australia had declared after lunch on 233-5 in 63.2 overs, having posted 487 earlier and bowling Pakistan out for 271 in the first innings.
Pakistan’s fourth innings run-chase started in shambolic fashion as they were reduced to 48-4 inside 15 overs before tea.
Josh Hazlewood (3-13) and Mitchell Starc (3-31) inflicted the most damage, but all eyes were on Lyon as he sought to join Shane Warne (708) and Glenn McGrath (563) among Australians with 500 wickets, and become the eighth player overall.
The 36-year-old lost a caught-behind review in the 26th over, but got his man in the 28th, going upstairs again to send Ashraf on his way for five, with Hawk-Eye showing contact with the stumps.
The spinner held the ball aloft and accepted the embrace of his team mates, and then clean-bowled Aamer Jamal (4) later in the over for good measure.
Earlier in the day, Pakistan’s debutant seamers Khurram Shahzad (3-45) and Jamal (1-28), outshining the more experienced Shaheen Afridi and Ashraf, accounted for the three Australian wickets to fall on the penultimate day.
Usman Khawaja (90) and Mitchell Marsh (63 not out) accumulated throughout the morning session and accelerated after lunch in pursuit of a declaration. Marsh, more comfortable as the aggressor, ended with seven fours and two sixes.
A mistimed cut by Khawaja to third-man prompted skipper Pat Cummins to call the innings to an end.
(Reporting by Joel Dubber in Perth; Editing by Alex Richardson)
