Lyon confident his best is yet to come

Nathan Lyon has already risen to be one of Australia's top-five most-successful Test spin bowlers but the right-armer insists his best is yet to come.

Playing his 50th Test in Hobart, Lyon on Friday took 3-43 from 19 overs against the West Indies to be the pick of the Aussie bowlers as the tourists went to stumps trailing by 376 on the first innings.

His scalps included a blazing caught-and-bowled when he launched himself left at full stretch to take an impressive two-handed airborne catch, sending Marlon Samuels (9) to the sheds.

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In his typical nonchalant manner, Lyon admitted luck was on his side for the catch, and that he was pretty happy.

"What do you want me to say?" he shrugged at reporters after play.

But of his bowling form, the 28-year-old was more chatty.

"I feel like I'm confident in my skill set to get the job done.

"The ball is coming beautifully out of my hand in the nets. I've been working hard ... and it's good to see it come out of the hand really well in the middle so I'm really happy."

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Guidance from former South Australian offspinner John Davison is paying off, with Lyon sitting fifth on Australia's all-time list of Test wicket-taking spinners, with 175 from 50 Tests.

He is already Australia's most-successful finger spinner after, earlier this year in Jamaica, moving past Hugh Trumble's mark of 148 wickets.

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And he is the only offspinner to play 50 Tests in the baggy green.

But there's more to come.

"Every day I go out to the nets, I'm learning - I'm trying to get better," Lyon said.

"I feel like I've still got a lot to learn and I've still got a lot of improvement to do.

"I've got a long way to go until I'm happy."

In the lead-up to the Hobart Test, there had been speculation about Lyon's effectiveness in the absence of Australia's powerhouse left-arm pacemen Mitchell Starc and Mitchell Johnson, who traditionally created footmarks for him to bowl at.

But Lyon said he could adapt to Australia's changing bowling attack.

"We're a close unit, the bowling guys, so it's enjoyable - we're enjoying the challenge," he said.

Lyon is also finding most success bowling over the wicket which is a change from his previous around-the-wicket approach.

"I feel like I'm going to create chances over the wicket and I know I've got around the wicket up my sleeve if I think I need to change."