The Ashes: Australia spinner Todd Murphy bullish on future of spin bowling despite seam-heavy summer

Australia’s understudy spinner Todd Murphy is remaining bullish on the future of his craft in Australia, despite his side opting to go with an all-out pace attack in two of their four Tests so far in The Ashes.

The country’s greatest-ever off-spinner Nathan Lyon was omitted for the second Test of the series in a huge selection surprise which meant Australia entered a home Test without a frontline spinner for the first time in nearly 15 years.

Lyon returned for the third Test in Adelaide but suffered a series-ending hamstring injury on the final day, with Murphy called into the squad in his place for the Boxing Day Test.

But the Victorian did not even make a trimmed-down 12-player line-up ahead of a game which concluded inside two days for the second time in the series.

Murphy, who will be hoping for a call-up for the fifth and final Test in Sydney, said he was confident the selection decisions were down to unique individual circumstances, rather than being part of a larger trend.

“I don’t think going into the series there was ever that planning or idea that spin wouldn’t play a role. I think it’s sort of just been how it’s eventuated,” Murphy said.

“I think it’ll evolve from year to year. Next year it could be completely different.”

Murphy made a huge early impression with a seven-wicket haul on his Test debut against India in February 2023 but has been forced to be patient in his search for opportunities since.

The seven-Test spinner said he was under no illusions his journey at Test level would be “linear”.

“I was never going to keep my place in the team when Nathan came back and I was always going to have to go back through Shield cricket and keep developing,” he said.

“At that stage, I was only 23, so I still felt like I had a long way to go to be at my best. I still feel like I’m trying to discover that as well and continuing to get better.

“It’s been a couple of years there where I’ve just been working away and trying to find the best version of myself.”

Much like at the top level, Sheffield Shield pitches have tilted in the favour of fast bowlers in recent years, with Queensland’s Mitch Swepson and WA’s Corey Rocchiccioli the only spinners among the competition’s top 17 wicket-takers so far this season.

Murphy said the four-day nature of the competition presented less chances to bowl on wearing wickets than a spinner would receive five-day Test.

“They’ve probably gone down the path of trying to make it speed up at the start of the game, but I still think you look across all games and spin still plays a massive part. So there’s always a role there for you to play, it might just not be day four and bowling 30 overs to spin your team to victory, but it still feels like you’ve always got a part to play in the game,” he said.

“I think I’ve probably learnt that . . . your job’s not always to come on and take wickets. It might be to play a holding role for four or five overs for the quick so they can have a break and then come back, and that can be just as important.

“I think you’ve got to find ways to try and still be effective out there and still be able to play a role for what the team needs.”

Murphy experienced mixed fortunes after replacing the injured Lyon at the back end of the 2023 Ashes, taking seven wickets across the third and fifth Tests but going at a run rate of nearly five per over and being dropped for the fourth.

The 25-year-old said he had no doubts England would again look to target him on if he is selected for what would be his first Test on Australian shores.

“I’d say that’s a guarantee if I played, that they would be attacking against me,” Murphy said.

“I think that’s just how they’ve been playing, it’s been positive cricket and I think they’d be no different if I played and was bowling to them.

“You’re always a chance when guys are coming after you and as a spinner it does bring you into the game a little bit more. If that presents out there, then no issues.”

Australia are yet to provide any clues as to how they will line up in Sydney, but Murphy said he was hopeful he would have the “pretty cool experience” of playing in a home Test.

“I’ve played seven now and they’ve all been away so I imagine it’d be a lot different having a home Test. It’d be a really cool opportunity,” he said.