Lyon stresses spin's importance ahead of Adelaide return

Nathan Lyon described himself as "absolutely filthy" about being left out of the second Test at The Gabba, where Australia opted for an all-out pace attack.

The 38-year-old, with 562 Test wickets, is set to return at the Adelaide Oval for the third Ashes Test, where spin is expected to play a more prominent role.

Adelaide has been a highly successful venue for Lyon. Across 14 Tests there, he has taken 63 wickets at an average of 25.36. He now needs just two more wickets to overtake Glenn McGrath as Australia's second-highest wicket-taker in Tests, behind only the late Shane Warne.

Reflecting on the potential milestone, Lyon said: "I daresay it would be like a little fairy tale, I guess, with my history here. My first ever Test match here was on the roller here back in 2010, funnily enough against England. So for me to potentially overtake Glenn McGrath [here] would be pretty incredible."

Opportunities for spin in Australia have been limited recently. Lyon bowled only eight overs across his last two home Tests—six against India at the SCG and two in the Ashes opener in Perth.

Lyon emphasized the importance of pitches offering assistance to spinners over a five-day Test. "You're asking a spinner – I think it's incredibly important," he said. "I think the variation in Test cricket, understanding that Test cricket goes for five days, and there's a lot of opportunity for pitches to wear and spinners to be able to produce their craft."

He also highlighted spin's wider appeal: "I've always said as soon as the ball spins, there's more eyes on TVs. You look at when we go over to India, you look at the conditions there and the exciting cricket when the ball is spinning, how many people pay attention to it.

"Spin is incredibly important in the game of cricket, in junior cricket, in first-class cricket, in white ball, red ball – it doesn't matter what format," stressed Lyon.