Victoria’s Todd Murphy is “right in the mix” to make his Test debut for Australia on Thursday.
News Corp’s Robert Craddock suggests the young off-spinner could step out for his country for the first time against India in Nagpur.
The expected state of the doctored Nagpur pitch has the Australian selection committee deeply considering the 22-year-old for what he describes would be a “stunning” debut.
SEN’s Bharat Sundaresan reported earlier that the Nagpur pitch is being prepared in a unique way which will leave dry patches outside the off stump of left-handed batsmen.
Interesting treatment of the pitch in Nagpur. The groundstaff watered the entire centre of the surface & only the length areas outside the left-hander’s leg stump & then rolled only the centre, stopping short every time they got to the good length areas at both ends #IndvAus pic.twitter.com/Myr2ZblqCg
— Bharat Sundaresan (@beastieboy07) February 7, 2023
With this in mind, Craddock has floated three different scenarios which could see Murphy, who has played just seven first-class matches, don the baggy green.
“Australia is deep in discussions over its team and don’t write off Victoria’s very own Todd Murphy from making one of the most stunning Test debuts we’ve seen in many, many years,” Craddock said on SEN’s Whateley.
“They’re really looking hard at Murphy. He’s only played a handful of games for Victoria but he’s impressed everyone with his control.
“They’ve basically told him, ‘Look, you are right in the mix mate, you are really right in the mix’. Victorian cricket at the moment is buzzing with that sort of speculation that he is in the mix.
“There’s three ways that he can get in the team. He can get in the team replacing Ashton Agar. I find that surprising given the rough spot (on the pitch) is the one area Agar can dart it into the body.
“The other way he can get in is if he replaces Scott Boland and Australia plays one seamer, Pat Cummins.
“Or, and this is the one I really like, if they make Alex Carey their number six batsman and play five bowlers. Sometimes you’ve just got to do that, is find a way to get bowlers into your team.”
Craddock said there may be some hesitation to blood Murphy due to the fact he spins the ball in a similar manner to that of Nathan Lyon.
“The last time Australia played two off-spinners in a team was Tim May and Peter Taylor 35 years ago,” he added.
“It just doesn’t happen.
“Australia loves the balance of a ‘leggy’ (leg-spinner) or a finger spinner going the other way.
“But this is an extraordinary situation. This wicket, I’ve never seen anything like it.”
If Murphy is to debut, it would be considered a significant selection gamble by the Aussies given his overall inexperience and the fact this is such a crucial series.
The first Test in Nagpur begins at 3pm AEDT on Thursday and you can hear all the action LIVE on SEN.