Young junior cricketer Nathan Lyon is set to step out at the Gabba on Friday morning in his 100th Test match for Australia. The Young product, 33 years old, has built an amazing career since debuting for Australia in September, 2011.
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He represented ACT Comets before making a move to South Australia where he swiftly launched himself onto the international scene.
After four Shield games for South Australia Redbacks he was called into the Australian Test side for its tour of Sri Lanka.
"I was very young and still learning the game at a rapid rate when I first come into the Australian cricket team, only playing four shield games before making my debut. It took me a little while to really find my feet in the Australian cricket side," Lyon told Cricket.com.au.
"I had a lot of external pressures from the media and Australian public asking questions 'should I be there?' 'am I good enough?'. I had a lot of outside pressure early in my career but I was able to be quite resilient and find a way to perform at the level. Right now I'm extremely confident where my game is at, and with my skill set to get the job done."
Lyon recalls a conversation early in his career with now national coach Justin Langer that helped spark his success at Test level.
"Quite early in my career, I think it was my 10th Test match. Justin Langer was the assistant coach or batting coach then and he actually pulled me into his room at Trinidad and Tobago and said that the honeymoon period is over and now you need to start winning games of cricket for Australia," Lyon said.
"That put a little bit more pressure on me but I'm really grateful for that advice. I was able to go out and get better each and every day at training. I think those words from JL at the time were a little bit eye-opening. But I think JL did it in the right way behind closed doors and it allowed me to process it in my own language. I was able go back and call my Dad, my sounding board, and really try and find a way to learn about the game and get better each and every day."
Lyon said he was "lucky" to enter the side playing alongside some of Australia's best Test cricketers who helped nurture him into a better player.
"I was very lucky to play with the likes of [Ricky] Ponting and [Michael] Hussey and I had an unbelievable captain at the start my career under Michael Clarke so I had a lot of support which I'm very grateful for," he said.
"I'm probably thinking a lot quicker on my feet than where I was at the start of my career, but I think that's only natural as I've played over 160 first class games. I've learnt about the game and I'm trying to read the game before it actually happens, if you can plan out things before they happen that's a massive thing."
It's a huge occasion for Lyon's 100th Test.
With the four-Test series against India level at 1-1 Australia has to win to reclaim the Border-Gavaskar trophy.
Australia has not been beaten at the Gabba since 1988.
Lyon needs four wickets to reach 400 Test scalps.
Only Shane Warne and Glenn McGrath have capped that milestone for Australia.
Leading Australian Test wicket takers
- Shane Warne 708
- Glenn McGrath 563
- Nathan Lyon 396
- Dennis Lillee 355
- Mitchell Johnson 313
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