Born tough: The Nathan Lyon story

A peep into what moulded Australia's greatest off-spinner, how he has stayed true to his roots

- ASHISH MAGOTRA

When Michael Hussey retired all those years ago in January 2013, Australia went looking for its new songmaster the man who would rouse the players with a rendition of the team's victory song, Under the Southern Cross I Stand, and they eventually settled on Nathan Lyon. Not because he was the best singer but simply because few others wore their hearts on their sleeve in quite the same way.

Lyon was different and that's not just because he was an off-spinner. Australia has had a great tradition of ASL spinners from Clarrie Grimmet, the first bowler to claim 200 Test wickets, to Richie Benaud, a man everyone recognises as the voice of cricket but a great leader and spinner in his time, and finally, the great Shane Warne. They were all wrist-spinners. Not finger spinners.

But Lyon, well, he always wanted to do it his own way and if it meant getting up in the cold, wintery mornings in Canberra to do his part-time job or work on the farm then so be it. The 37-year-old has now played 130 Tests and claimed a remarkable 532 wickets.

Quaint town

Young is a small town roughly a two-hour, 160km drive from Canberra, and to most people outside the cricketing world, it is known for its cherry crops. From November to January, you can pick your own cherries from trees. Surrounded by orchards, olive groves and vineyards in the cool climate of the Hilltops wine region - this is quaint as quaint goes. Go back a little further in time and the town's colourful, pioneering gold history comes into picture.

But come back to the cricketing world and the town will forever be associated with Lyon, a bowler who has charted a very unconventional route to bring his legend to life. Even now, more than anything else, it is his resilience that sets him apart. Put him in a tough spot and he'll go about his business without a word.