"Absolutely filthy," Nathan Lyon had said on Channel 7 when asked about his reaction to being left out of the second Test at The Gabba, with Australia opting for an all-out pace attack.

At 38, Lyon, who has 562 Test wickets and is closing in on a major milestone, is set to return at the Adelaide Oval where spin is expected to play a more prominent role in the third Ashes Test.

Few Australian venues have suited Lyon better than Adelaide. Across 14 Tests at the ground, he has taken 63 wickets at an average of 25.36, repeatedly exploiting the surface as it wears over five days. He now needs just two more wickets to overtake Glenn McGrath as Australia's second-highest wicket-taker in Tests, with only the late Shane Warne ahead of him.

Asked about the looming landmark, Lyon reflected on the symmetry of the moment. "I daresay it would be like a little fairy tale, I guess, with my history here (at the Adelaide Oval). 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."

Despite his record, opportunities for spin in Australia have been limited of late. Lyon has bowled only eight overs across his last two Tests at home, sending down six overs against India at the SCG and just two in the Ashes opener in Perth, as seam-heavy attacks continued to dominate selection thinking.

That context puts the nature of pitches on centre-stage, a subject close to Lyon's heart. So how important is it for spinners to receive some assistance? "You're asking a spinner - I think it's incredibly important," Lyon 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."

Expanding further on spin's place in the modern game, Lyon underlined its 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.