A historic second on the Adelaide Oval was punctuated by a contact of traditional Australian humor throughout the third Ashes Test of the 2025-26 series. As Nathan Lyon formally moved previous Glenn McGrath to turn out to be Australia’s second-most profitable Take a look at bowler of all time, the legendary paceman supplied the spotlight of the morning from the commentary field. After Lyon clean-bowled Ben Duckett to assert his 564th Take a look at wicket, cameras instantly panned to McGrath, who delivered a chunk of good bodily comedy.
Ashes 2025-26: Nathan Lyon surpasses the legacy of Glenn McGrath on Day 2 of Adelaide Take a look at
Lyon’s ascent to sixth place on the all-time Take a look at wicket-takers checklist is a testomony to the longevity and ability of a bowler as soon as thought of a “stop-gap” choice for Australia. Coming into the Adelaide Take a look at tied with Glenn McGrath on 562 wickets, Lyon didn’t have to attend lengthy to etch his title into the report books. He first drew degree by dismissing Ollie Pope, who fell to a pointy low catch by Josh Inglis at mid-wicket, earlier than producing a traditional off-spinner’s supply to dismantle Duckett’s off-stump for the record-breaking 564th scalp. This dismissal moved him into outright second place amongst Australians, leaving solely the Shane Warne, who sits at 708 wickets, forward of him.
The achievement is staggering when seen via the lens of historical past; Lyon is now the best energetic wicket-taker in world cricket and the fourth-highest spinner to ever play the sport, trailing solely Muttiah Muralitharan (800), Warne (708), and Anil Kumble (619). Amongst quick bowlers, solely the retired English duo of James Anderson (704) and Stuart Broad (604) now stand between Lyon and the highest 5. His skill to constantly extract flip and bounce on all surfaces has reworked him into the heartbeat of the Australian bowling assault, and as he surpassed McGrath’s legendary tally of 563, he proved that he belongs in the identical pantheon of greats who outlined the “Golden Period” of the Saggy Inexperienced.
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Ashes 2025-26: McGrath’s priceless second goes viral
Whereas the report belonged to Lyon, it was McGrath’s comedic brilliance that set social media ablaze and supplied the defining picture of the third Take a look at’s opening periods. As the published cameras panned to the Channel 7 commentary field the second Duckett’s bails flew, McGrath was prepared with a theatrical show of “frustration.” With a mischievous glint in his eye, he stood up and gripped his chair, pretending to hoist it above his head as if to smash it onto the ground in a match of jealousy. The stay feed captured his fellow commentators, together with Ricky Ponting and Ian Smith, erupting in laughter as McGrath rapidly broke character with a proud, beaming smile for his successor.
This “chair-slamming” video rapidly grew to become a sensation, with followers praising McGrath for his lack of ego and his willingness to have a good time the subsequent era with such infectious humor. The second served as a poignant bridge between eras; McGrath, the metronome of the 2000s, passing the torch to Lyon, the marathon man of the fashionable age.
Right here’s the video:
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