Bowling Sachin Tendulkar through the gate was my best ball: Nathan Lyon

For Australian off-spinner Nathan Lyon, the delivery which bowled Indian batting legend Sachin Tendulkar in Chennai in February 2013, is “the best ball” of his Test career. The off-spinner dismissed Tendulkar, bowled for 81 on February 24, 2013 on the 3rd day of the 1st Test between India and Australia at Chennai’s MA Chidambaram Stadium.

It was a dream dismissal for any off-spinner, drawing the batsman forward and bowling through the gate. Lyon still cherishes that and calls it his “best” of 57-Test career so far. Talking about that day in Chennai, Lyon told former Australian leg-spinner Stuart MacGill’s website (www.stuartmacgill.com) that he was happy to silence the Indian crowd.

“When Sachin Tendulkar comes out to bat in India, it is a different world. You can’t hear yourself. It is the loudest involvement I have ever been involved with. I remember, the over before that, I was quite happy with. I just felt that something would happen around the corner,” Lyon, who has taken 211 Test wickets, said on Tuesday (September 6).

He continued, “I kept telling myself, ‘be relaxed and be patient’. I was fortunate enough to throw out one in the rough and go through the gate. I felt like life stopped there for a moment. When I saw the bails go down and seeing Shane Watson, Michael Clarke, Matthew Wade’s reactions, I did not know what to do. It was a big one for Shane (Warne).

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“There was a lot of emotion on the cricket field. I did not know what to do. To silence the crowd like that was like pressing the mute button on TV. It was unbelievable and probably the best ball I have bowled in my Test career.” Lyon had said his confidence had gone up after sending back the Indian legend.

“My confidence has gone up a level rather than down, (after) bowling the best batsman in the world (Tendulkar) through the gate. As an off-spinner growing up, that’s what you dream of. “To be honest, I thought they came out all right in Chennai. To bowl Sachin Tendulkar through the gate you must be doing something right. I was quite happy with that,” Lyon had said.

Lyon took 4 wickets in that Chennai Test but India won the match by 8 wickets. Mahendra Singh Dhoni-led India won the next 3 Tests in Hyderabad, Mohali, and New Delhi to complete a historic 4-0 whitewash. In the 4th Test in Delhi, Lyon got Tendulkar’s wicket in both innings, trapping him leg before twice. Lyon was dropped from the 2nd Test.