'Honored' Nathan Lyon thanks Sachin Tendulkar for his amazing gesture

The ongoing second Test between Australia and India in Perth is heading for a grand finale. Both the teams have played some really good cricket, but neither of them have staked claim to be the better side. On Day Four, the hosts had their noses just a little in front, leading by 194 runs after drinks of the first session.

On a pitch which had pace and bounce, Australia won the toss and chose to bat first. Tim Paine's decision was vindicated by his batters, as the hosts managed to amass 326 in the first innings, a total well above par for a pitch like Perth.

In reply, India were bowled out for 283, despite skipper Virat Kohli scoring a magnificent 123. One of the reason why Aussies took forward a 43-run lead to the second innings was their off-spinner Nathan Lyon.

'Garry', as he is fondly called by his teammates and fans alike, bowled superbly on a pitch which did not have much assistance for him. He ended up with figures of 5 for 67 in 34.5 overs. 

Following his brilliant display, Lyon was applauded by the whole cricketing fraternity, including former Indian superstar Sachin Tendulkar. The 'Master Blaster' called the off-spinner 'special' and hailed his performance with the ball.

"Australia have got a very special spinner in @NathLyon421. He has got terrific variations and uses the pace and bounce from the pitch to extract maximum value. #INDvAUS," his tweet read.

WATCH: 'My Bat Does The Talking': Virat Kohli's Celebratory Gesture After 25th Test Ton In Perth Impresses Fans

Lyon responded to the applause in kind, and revealed that he was honored by the words of Tendulkar. At the post-match press conference on Day Three, he told media, "That's amazing to get something like that from Sachin Tendulkar," Lyon said after play. He's obviously one of the greatest of all time to ever play the game. So, to get recognised from him it's a massive honour."