'He's probably been one of my biggest coaches': Nathan Lyon on R Ashwin

With his 500th Test wicket beckoning, Australian spinner Nathan Lyon has hailed the influence of R Ashwin on his remarkable career. The two legendary bowlers are on the cusp of reaching 500 Test wickets but it appears that the Aussie will get to the milestone first. Lyon, on 496 wickets, will be in action against Pakistan in the first Test starting Thursday in Perth. Ashwin, meanwhile, on 489 wickets, can be part of India’s lineup against South Africa in the Boxing Day Test. Ahead of the milestone moment, Lyon hailed Ashwin and stated he has learned plenty from his Indian rival. “You look at Ashwin, he’s a world-class bowler and somebody I’ve watched closely from the start of his career,” Lyon told Cricket.com.au ahead of his return to Test cricket after suffering a calf injury in June. “We’ve gone head-to-head many times in different conditions around the world. “I’ve got nothing but respect for Ashwin and the way he’s gone about it. “I’ve definitely learned from him. “There’s an opportunity to learn from the people you play against, and without knowing it he’s probably been one of my biggest coaches in a way. “It’s pretty amazing to see we’re both creeping up to that 500 mark, and we’ll see where we end up. “Hopefully at the end of our career we’ll sit down and have a nice feed and a beer and talk about it.” Only seven bowlers have taken 500 wickets in Test cricket history. Muttiah Muralitharan leads the list with 800 wickets followed by Shane Warne (708), James Anderson (690), Anil Kumble (619), Stuart Broad (604), Glenn McGrath (563) and Courtney Walsh (519). Lyon has recovered fully ahead of the Test series against Pakistan after picking up a calf injury in the Ashes. The 37-year-old has however chosen not to predict his final wicket tally. “I’m not putting a number on it,” he said when asked if he was targeting Warne’s record as Australia’s greatest-ever Test bowler. “I want to play cricket for as long as I can. “Haven’t won (a Test series) in India, haven’t won in England – that’s two places that I want to do, so with the injury happening a couple of months ago I feel like there’s a passion there to keep going and keep trying to get better. “I’ve had the mentality to try and rehab this like no-one’s rehabbed a calf injury before. “I’m really proud of the work I’ve done personally, but also with the likes of Cricket Australia and Cricket New South Wales. “I feel like we’ve done everything possible along the way to make sure we’re in a really good spot physically, but also mentally as well. “I’m feeling really confident, really happy with where everything is at and it’s just about going out there and performing now.”