With Australia off-spinner Nathan Lyon to miss the rest of the Ashes series with a calf injury, we look at the man to replace him, Todd Murphy…
He looks familiar…
After the spectacled spinner made his Test debut in India earlier this year, it didn’t take commentators too long to start mentioning his lookalikes – Harry Potter, Professor Plum from Cluedo.
Another is Daniel Vettori, the glasses-wearing New Zealand spinner who picked up 705 international wickets for the Black Caps between 1997 and 2015. Vettori is now an assistant coach with Australia so has no doubt been working closely with Murphy.
Image: Murphy (left) has a fine man to talk spin bowling with in Australia assistant coach and former New Zealand slow left-armer Daniel Vettori (right)
He seems a bit of a novice…
He is. Murphy has only played 12 first-class matches, four of which came in the 2022-23 Sheffield Shield for Victoria as he took 14 wickets at an average of 21.14.
Another four came during Australia’s Test series in India in February and March when he bagged 14 wickets at 25.21, including 7-124 on debut in Nagpur when his victims included Virat Kohli, KL Rahul and Cheteshwar Pujara.
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Murphy – who switched from seam to spin at the age of 16 – had only featured in seven first-class games before making his Test bow but seemed far from overawed.
Image: Murphy removed Virat Kohli four times in six innings on Australia's tour of India
Wasn’t he somewhat of a nemesis for Virat Kohli?
He sure was, dismissing the India batter on four occasions in six innings.
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The delivery Murphy bowled to remove Kohli for the first time was hardly a vintage one – Kohli clipping a ball well outside leg stump through to wicketkeeper Alex Carey to fall for 12.
But the spinner went on to have him stumped and lbw for low scores before having him pouched in the deep in the final Test, albeit this time after Kohli had racked up 186.
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How will he deal with hostile Headingley?
Murphy is well aware that he is not only entering the Lyon’s den as he aims to fill the void left by a spinner with 496 Test wickets and whose eight scalps at Edgbaston helped Australia win the series opener, but also the lion’s den with a spicy atmosphere pretty much guaranteed in Leeds after the controversial stumping of Jonny Bairstow in the Lord’s Test.
The spinner said: “From speaking to the boys, this is probably the most hostile ground you get in England. I’m quite looking forward to it if I do get the opportunity.
“It’s going to be different and I’m sure they [the |England fans] won’t hold back, so just embrace it and try to have a good time. Everyone’s under no illusions it’s going to come pretty hard.”
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Jonny Bairstow’s controversial stumping at Lord’s will fire up the Headingley crowd this week
Will England look to attack him?
You’d imagine so. Murphy has only been the sole frontline spinner twice in his first-class career – he had Nathan Lyon and latterly Matthew Kuhnemann for company in India.
“It’s going to be different outlook for me,” Murphy told reporters. “Nath [Lyon] said trust what you’ve got, believe in it and don’t go away from it. Don’t expect yourself to do too much.
Image: Bairstow is 10 not out according to this sign in Leeds…
“I think [England] will probably come even harder at me, they keep taking the game on. It’s about trying to navigate through that, come up with a few different ideas that can help and try to keep creating chances.
“Looking back on India, getting the opportunity to play Test cricket and being exposed to high-level contests only helps and I took a lot of confidence from that.”
‘The future of Australian spin’ – What do they say about Murphy?
Nathan Lyon, speaking during the Lord’s Test:
“His stock ball is good enough in international cricket. We have seen that in India in arguably the hardest place to bowl spin It will be a different challenge with the England batters.
“If they do come at him, it provides Todd with a decent challenge. But a chance to leave his footmarks here in England. It is a big Ashes series, he is excited by the opportunity.
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Nathan Lyon suffered a series-ending calf injury at Lord’s
“I have a lot of confidence in Todd. He is a great kid. He is willing to learn along the way. I have told him my phone is always on, it doesn’t matter if I am sitting in the changing room with him or I am sitting at home watching it in bed.”
Former Australia spinner Kerry O’Keefe, speaking during the India tour in March:
“I like the cut of his jib. Trajectory, loop, angle, curve… he’s the future of Australian spin. The hitters can’t get under him because he bowls a 92km/h loop. He’s under their eye line. He is not looking to bounce the ball, he’s looking to hit pads.”
Watch the third Ashes Test live on Sky Sports Cricket from Thursday. Build-up starts at 10am ahead of the first ball at 11am. You can stream the men’s and women’s Ashes series on NOW.
Sourse: skysports.com
