Ashes Stats: Nathan Lyon becomes first off-spinner from outside Asia to take 400 Test wickets
Nathan Lyon becomes first off-spinner from outside Asia and 17th bowler overall to 400 Test wickets - having been stuck on 399 scalps for a long time; England have now lost seven of their last 10 Tests in which they have won the toss, with this defeat extending woeful Gabba record...
Saturday 11 December 2021 09:03, UK
Sky Cricket number-cruncher Benedict Bermange has all the key stats following England's defeat to Australia in the opening Ashes encounter as Nathan Lyon makes cricketing history, Alex Carey enjoys a debut to remember and England lose again after winning the toss in a Test match...
When Nathan Lyon dismissed Dawid Malan, he became the fourth off-spinner to take at least 400 Test wickets and the first from outside Asia...
Lyon became the 17th bowler in all to take at least 400 Test wickets - and had the longest wait of all to go from 399 to 400, of 326 days.
Thirteen bowlers did it in the same Test, while it took James Anderson four days, Dale Steyn seven days and Stuart Broad 76 days to go from 399 to 400 wickets.
Lyon has now played 53 Tests in Australia, taking 204 wickets at an average of 32.87. In those 53 Tests, all the other spinners have taken 182 wickets at an average of 62.23.
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Alex Carey became just the third wicketkeeper to make as many as eight dismissals on his Test debut, and the first to take eight catches.
Australia's Brian Taber took seven catches and one stumping against South Africa in Johannesburg in 1966, while England's Chris Read bagged seven catches and a stumping against New Zealand at Edgbaston in 1999.
Due to David Warner's injury, Carey also became the first Australian men's Test wicketkeeper to open the batting on Test debut.
England actually won their first two Test matches at The Gabba - in 1933 and 1936. However, since then, they have played 20 matches at the venue, winning just twice (in 1978 and 1986), drawing five and losing the other 13.
England's troubles when winning the toss continued.
In their last 10 Tests winning the toss, they have won once, lost seven times and picked up two draws. After losing the toss, meanwhile, they have won seven, drawn two and lost just once.
