Lyon roars on return to Ashes stage in Adelaide

After an upsetting omission from the second Ashes test in Brisbane, spinner Nathan Lyon was all smiles on Thursday as he celebrated his recall to the Australian XI with a two-wicket burst that launched a day of pain for England at Adelaide Oval.

Lyon teamed up with recalled skipper Pat Cummins to blitz England’s top order before lunch on a scorching day two.

By stumps, the tourists were 213 for eight with their hopes of turning the series around all but gone.

Inserted into the Australian attack early, Lyon struck with his third ball to have Ollie Pope caught for three. Three balls later, he bowled opener Ben Duckett for 29 with a peach of a delivery that beat the bat’s outside edge before clipping the top of off-stump.

The Duckett wicket put Lyon second on Australia’s all-time list for test wickets with 564, one better than pace great Glenn McGrath. Only legspin king Shane Warne has more (708).

Rarely one to rave about milestones, Lyon made it clear this one felt special.

“I hadn’t really thought about it just yet, but I grew up idolising Shane Warne, Glenn McGrath and these guys,” he told reporters after an exhausting day in the field.

“To be able to take over or equal Glenn, or however you want to put it, it’s pretty humbling to be honest with you, and it’s something that I’ll look back at the end of my career, or even tonight, and sit back and try and have a moment.”

Two weeks ago, Lyon was stewing about being dropped for a first home test since 2012.

He said he was “filthy” (angry) with selectors for overlooking him at the Gabba where his replacement Michael Neser took a five-wicket haul in the fourth innings to help Australia win by eight wickets.

But on Thursday 38-year-old Lyon dismissed the idea he had extra motivation to prove himself at Adelaide Oval, saying it was “business as usual”.

“To be honest with you, I’ve been around this group long enough to understand my role in the side, and it’s an amazing group to be a part of,” he said.

‘So we are in the Olympic Village of Milan.

“(I’m) just extremely grateful for that opportunity, I guess. So, yeah, emotions were, as usual, nervous, but that’s me.”

Following a long recovery from a back injury, Cummins also enjoyed a fine return with the ball in his first test since the West Indies tour in July.

Bowling 14 overs, the biggest load among Australia’s seamers, Cummins dismissed opener Zak Crawley, Joe Root and wicketkeeper Jamie Smith, all three batters nicking behind the wicket.

Lyon said Cummins had “worked his backside off” on his rehabilitation and never doubted he would return with a bang.

“Extremely proud of the way he’s gone about it and that’s why he’s a pretty inspirational leader,” he added.