"He is the reason why I am bowling spin" - Nathan Lyon pays tribute to Shane Warne ahead of Day 2 of the first Ashes Test

Australian off-spinner Nathan Lyon credited the late great Shane Warne as the central figure behind his bowling spin ahead of Day 2 of the first Test of the Ashes series at Edgbaston.

Shane Warne, the second-highest wicket-taker in Test history with 708 scalps in 145 matches, tragically passed away following a heart attack in March of 2022. During his illustrious career, the legendary leg-spinner also picked up an incredible 195 wickets against England, including 11 five-wicket-hauls.

Speaking to former England captain Nasser Hussain on Sky Sports before the start of play on Day 2, Lyon spoke glowingly about Shane Warne:

"He is missed incredibly, not just as an Australian lover of cricket but all around the world. You look at Warnie, what he has done for me, he is the reason why I am bowling spin.

"Very sad, even today he is not here with us but hopefully, we can do him proud upstairs there, I know he there looking down on us. He is the reason why I started bowling spin so hopefully I can fly the flag for the spinners in his memory."

Nathan Lyon is currently eighth all-time in Test wickets with 491 scalps in 121 matches. He is also third among Australian bowlers in Test wickets behind only Shane Warne and Glenn Mcgrath and fourth among spinners after Muttiah Muralidaran, Shane Warne, and Anil Kumble.

The ongoing Ashes series features three of the top eight leading wicket-takers in Test history, Nathan Lyon, Stuart Broad, and James Anderson.

Nathan Lyon led the Australian attack with four wickets on Day 1

Nathan Lyon broke the crucial partnership between Root and Bairstow.

Nathan Lyon led the Aussies with an incisive spell of 4/149 on Day 1 of the first Ashes Test at Edgbaston. The off-spinner picked up wickets regularly despite the English batters scoring rapidly through the day.

Eventually, the hosts declared their first innings at 393-8 after winning the toss and electing to bat first on a placid Edgbaston wicket.

Lyon picked up the vital wickets of Ollie Pope, Harry Brook, Jonny Bairstow, and Moen Ali in his 29-over spell to keep a lid on England's lineup.

The 32-year-old picked up 88 wickets, the highest in the 2021-23 cycle, at an average of 26.12, including five 5-wicket hauls. Lyon also bagged a four-wicket haul in the second innings of the WTC final against India to help Australia win the WTC mace.

Despite the star offie's impressive showing, England scored at a healthy run rate of almost five runs per over to finish just seven runs short of 400 and had a go at Australia for four overs before stumps on day 1.

Yorkshire-born Joe Root led the way with a majestic 30th Test century and finished unbeaten on 118, including seven 4s and four maximums. He was well supported by wicket-keeper Jonny Bairstow, who scored a brisk run-a-ball 78 to help England recover after they were 176-5 at one point.