The outstanding Australian fast bowler of his time, McGrath may surpass the 519 wickets of Courtney Walsh, his only contemporary peer, with another bumper Ashes series.

As he embarks upon a third tour of England, McGrath stands on the brink of becoming only the second seamer in history to pass the 500-wicket mark and it is an achievement all the more remarkable when his lack of natural pace is taken into consideration.

Unlike Walsh or Curtly Ambrose, the other bowler to whom McGrath is most often compared, he has never been a performer to terrify batsman with lightning speed or intimidating bounce.

The 35-year-old thus enters the summer more dangerous than ever, still unnervingly accurate but forever improved by a sharp cricketing brain still gaining experience.

In a game in which mental strength is paramount, McGrath is the embodiment of the power of the mind: maximising every opportunity to his own advantage, never allowing any opponent a glimmer of hope.

His nagging line-and-length off-cutters have been the scourge of Test batsmen since a 1993 debut against New Zealand.

Following a difficult first 12 months including tours to South Africa and Pakistan McGrath came good – perhaps unsurprisingly – upon his introduction to Ashes combat.

His first English victim was Michael Atherton, a signal of things to come in a duel which came to define the recent history of cricket's oldest contest.

The former England captain recently asked his greatest nemesis how he did it. The response: "Just keep putting the ball in the right place" does not excite unduly but perfectly encapsulates the McGrath phenomenon.

Fast bowlers are traditionally among the glamour boys of cricket but McGrath is relentless rather than flamboyant, a ruthless and single-minded character who has not always met with universal approval due to a short temper and sharp tongue.

As this touring team testifies, however, sport is not a popularity contest and the New South Welshman is not the first Aussie paceman to have played 100 Tests for nothing.

His speciality has long been winning duels with the opposition talisman – Brian Lara has scarcely fared better than Atherton – meaning a pivotal battle this summer could be that of McGrath v Michael Vaughan.

The Yorkshire batsman took the fight to the home attack in the 2002-03 series with notable success, many observers believe that no other player has ever enjoyed such superiority over McGrath.

Few have looked down upon the former Worcestershire and Middlesex player for long however and he is aware that this summer offers the chance to write his legacy in the fast bowling hall of fame.