“He goes from Mr Bean to Thor” – Lyon’s journey to 500 wickets

If that had been the case, if Nathan Lyon's calf had not torn in the second Test at Lord's, the men's Ashes series could have been be very different.

In the event, Lyon limped out, England fought back to make draw 2-2 and the Australian off-spinner had to wait for his historic 500th Test wicket.

But now, six months in a row and back at home, Lyon is among the greatest of all time.

The man who started out as a pitch curator, setting up wickets rather than taking them, became only the eighth man to claim 500 Test scalps with his dismissal of Pakistan's Faheem Ashraf in Perth.

It's been quite a journey.

"I remember meeting him when he was on the grounds staff at the Adelaide Oval. ", says Mike Hussey, the former Australian slugger who will play a key role in Lyon's journey to the 500 club.

"I faced him for a long time in the nets and you could see he had something special."

With Andrew Strauss's England in town for the 2010-11 Ashes, Australia's batting team needed someone to replicate Graeme Swann.

Lyon, for its outfield mowing duties, was recommended.

"I remember being in a one-on-one battle," Hussey says. "There were no words but he's a competitive guy. I am too and I didn't want him to take me out.

"He has nothing said but a few looks he gave me showed me that he was right in the fight, as if he were taking part in a test match himself."

At this stage, a 23-year-old Lyonnais was struggling to get into South Australia's second eleven. His boss was Damian Hough, the South Australian chief of personnel. .

"He left on a Sunday after the cricket grade, played a four-day second XI on Monday for Thursday [to Canberra] and, knowing Nathan, drink all night and hop on the red-eye [night flight] back to Adelaide,” says Hough.

"He then returned to work Friday morning."

Day Lyon's task today was to take charge of preparations at Karen Rolton Oval, one of Adelaide's smallest premier grounds.

"He would come in and sneak into the nets," Hough said. "I didn't realize it until a few years ago when he told me.

"His mom and dad told me in his first season, 'if he gets a little ahead of himself, you knock him down a notch or two.' I've never had to do it.

"He was energetic, positive, cheeky - just a guy who fit in well with the team. far."

Lyon's team spirit was on display for the world to see at Lord's in June.< /p >

See him hobbling in the street of the pavilion...