Nathan Lyon vs Keshav Maharaj - comparing their stats after 57 Tests ahead of WTC 2025 final

Australian spinner Nathan Lyon and South African spinner Keshav Maharaj will be in action as the two sides face off in the World Test Championship (WTC) 2025 final. The WTC 2025 final is scheduled to begin on Wednesday, June 11, at the iconic Lord's cricket ground.

Nathan Lyon made his Test debut in 2011 against Sri Lanka at Galle. He has played 136 matches for his country in the format so far, establishing himself among the best spinners in Test cricket going around at the moment.

Keshav Maharaj played his first Test in 2016 against Australia at the W.A.C.A. He has played 57 Tests in his career for South Africa and is a vital member of their current squad.

Both spinners will have a key role to play as their teams battle it out against each other for the ultimate prize in Test cricket. That said, here is a comparison of the stats of Nathan Lyon and Keshav Maharaj after 57 Tests, ahead of the WTC 2025 final.

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Nathan Lyon vs Keshav Maharaj comparison after 57 Tests

#1 Most wickets

Nathan Lyon has played 136 Tests for Australia in his international career. The off-spinner has grabbed 553 wickets from 253 innings. However, from his first 57 matches in the format, Lyon had picked up 211 wickets.

On the other hand, Keshav Maharaj has played 57 Tests for South Africa. The left-arm spinner has managed to pick up 198 wickets so far from 96 innings. While the margin of difference is not too high, Lyon had more wickets than Maharaj had at a similar stage.

Player	Matches	Wickets
Nathan Lyon	57	211
Keshav Maharaj	57	198

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#2 Average and Strike Rate

Nathan Lyon has maintained an average of 30.19 and a strike-rate of 61.6 in the 136 games that he has played in his Test career to date. From his first 57 Test matches, the Australian off-spinner had an average of 32.80 and a strike-rate of 62.38.

Meanwhile, Keshav Maharaj has an average of 29.68 and a strike-rate of 57.3 from his 57 matches in the longest format of the game. At a similar stage, Maharaj therefore has a better average and strike rate as compared to Lyon.

Player	Matches	Average	Strike Rate
Nathan Lyon	57	32.80	62.38
Keshav Maharaj	57	29.68	57.3

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#3 Economy rate and best figures

Nathan Lyon's career economy rate after his 136 matches is 2.93, with best figures of 13/154 (in a match). From his first 57 Tests, he had an economy rate of 3.15 with best figures of 12/286 against India at the Adelaide Oval in 2014.

Meanwhile, Keshav Maharaj has an economy rate of 3.10 from his 57 Tests so far. His best figures of 12/283 came against Sri Lanka in 2018 at Colombo. In this aspect of comparison, both spinners have almost similar economy rates as well as bowling figures.

Player	Matches	Economy rate	Best figures
Nathan Lyon	57	3.15	12/286
Keshav Maharaj	57	3.10	12/283

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#4 Performance in a winning cause

Nathan Lyon had bagged 119 wickets in a winning cause from his first 57 Tests. Out of these, Australia won 30 matches.

On the other hand, Keshav Maharaj has picked up 116 wickets in a winning cause from his 57 matches so far, with his team winning 33 games.

Player	Matches	Wickets in winning cause
Nathan Lyon	57	119
Keshav Maharaj	57	116

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#5 Home/away record

Nathan Lyon has been a consistent performer both at home and away. The off-spinner had bagged 104 wickets at home and 107 wickets away in his first 57 matches.

Meanwhile, Keshav Maharaj has picked up 86 wickets at home and 112 wickets away in his 57 Tests so far. Lyon has a better home record in this phase, while their away record is almost similar.

Player	Matches	Wickets at home	Wickets away
Nathan Lyon	57	104	107
Keshav Maharaj	57	86	112