Australia spinner Nathan Lyon achieved a historic milestone in his career during the first Test against New Zealand in Wellington on Friday. The ace off-spinner returned with the figures of 4-43 to overtake legendary pacer Courtney Walsh's wicket-tally in red-ball format.

Lyon has now become the seventh-highest wicket-taker in Test cricket and third-highest for Australia after Shane Warne and Glenn McGrath.

Before the start of the match, Lyon was two scalps away to overtake Walsh's tally of 519 Test wickets. With the dismissals of Tom Blundell (33) and Scott Kuggelejin (0), the spinner crossed the landmark number to become the seventh-highest wicket-taker in Test cricket.

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Lyon went on to exploit the Kiwi batting line-up further and removed Matt Henry, who smashed 34-ball 42, and captain Tim Southee (0) as Australia took a massive 204-run first-innings lead.

Sri Lanka legend Muttiah Muralitharan continues to lead the highest wicket-taker chart in Test cricket with the monumental figure of 800 wickets. Warne stood second in the list with 708 scalps followed by England's James Anderson (698), India's Anil Kumble (619), England's Stuart Broad (604) and Australia's McGrath (563).

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Lyon will next eye to topple his countryman and former pacer McGrath in the list and needs 42 wickets more to do so.

The Black Caps lost wickets in clumps as they reeled in the face of Australia's attack with Glenn Phillips's aggressive 71 serving only to save the home side from deeper embarrassment in front of a sellout crowd at Wellington's Basin Reserve.

Australia chose not to enforce the follow-on but the wickets kept falling with skipper Tim Southee dismissing Steve Smith and Marnus Labuschagne cheaply as the shadows across the ground lengthened.

Nightwatchman Nathan Lyon was dropped by Southee in the slips off the last ball of the day and will resume on six not out alongside Usman Khawaja, who was unbeaten on five. Australia are on 13 for two, leading by 217 runs.

(With Reuters inputs)