After a long search for a regular No.1 spinner in the post-Shane Warne era, Australia finally found what they were looking for in 2011 when they opted for a groundsman-cum-off-spinner from country NSW, via Canberra and Adelaide.

Having shown his ability as a net bowler while working as a curator’s assistant at the Adelaide Oval, Lyon made an immediate impact in Twenty20 cricket for South Australia.

Then, with just a handful of first-class matches to his name, Lyon was rushed into Australia’s Test squad for the tour of Sri Lanka.

The wiry tweaker showed no sign of nerves on Test debut, dismissing Kumar Sangakkara with his very first ball and finishing with 5-34 to cap a dream start to his international career.

Lyon has been a solid citizen of Australia’s Test XI ever since, highlighted by figures of 7-94 against the might of India in Delhi in 2013.

Lyon became the most successful off-spinner in Australian Test history in 2015 when he removed the West Indies Kraigg Brathwaite on day two of the second Test in Kingston, moving past Hugh Trumble's mark of 141 Test wickets that had stood as the benchmark for more than a century.

He has since passed the 300-wicket barrier and is widely regarded as one of the best spin bowlers in world cricket today.