Todd Murphy has justified Australia’s decision to recall him at The Oval, bouncing back from his Old Trafford axing to take two wickets on day one of the final Test.
Overlooked in Manchester as Australia deemed a spinner surplus to their needs, Murphy claimed 2-22 from six overs on Thursday as England were all out for 283.
The offspinner tossed the ball up to an injured Moeen Ali and bowled him for 34, before also knocking over a slogging Mark Wood on 28.
He also created another chance to have Chris Woakes caught and bowled, only to put down a mis-hit drive that was struck back at him.
But what will please Australia most would have been the 22-year-old’s control.
Todd Murphy celebrates after taking the wicket of Moeen Ali. (Photo by John Walton/PA Images via Getty Images)
While Moeen was injured and Wood is a lower-order bat, Murphy bowled few loose balls in his six overs and was the tidiest in going at 3.86 an over.
England have made a point to go after spinners in this series attacking Nathan Lyon before he injured his calf and trying to take down Murphy at Headingley.
“When they’re playing the sort of cricket that they are it nearly comes back to one-day cricket where you have to mix and match,” Murphy said on Sky Sports.
“Be brave at times and also be smart. Make sure when they’re coming at you it’s on your terms.”
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Telling too was the fact Australia appeared to show more faith in Murphy.
After Australia used him sparingly at Leeds that raised questions over how much he would bowl in Manchester, Murphy was thrown the ball with England three wickets down on Thursday.
“As a spinner and cricketer in particular you just want to be able to get in the game and be involved in it,” Murphy said.
“It’s nice to get in there nice and early today and contribute a little bit.”
Murphy is every chance of being chief spinner when Australia next return to England for the Ashes in 2027, after impressing on his debut tour of India earlier this year.
Thursday’s Test is still only Murphy’s third first-class game as the sole spinner, having played most games for Australia alongside Nathan Lyon and Jon Holland at Victoria.
“He’s going to learn from those experiences, his first Ashes tour on the back of his first Indian tour,” Mitchell Starc said.
“He’s going to be a quality spinner for us for a long time.
“Obviously coming in and trying to fill Nathan’s boots is a big deal as it is. Nathan’s obviously bowled quite well here in the past off the back of the Test final.
“Todd’s run off the back of that and bowled some really good overs today and got some crucial wickets.”
Murphy will probably need to get through a much bigger workload in the second innings. Mitchell Starc powered through damage in his left bowling shoulder’s acromioclavicular joint to take four wickets on Thursday to help bowl England out for 289.
After damaging his shoulder at Old Trafford last week, Starc spent time off the field on Thursday after hurting it again returning a ball in the field. But he returned to lead Australia’s charge as they look to consolidate their 2-1 series lead.
He first bowled Ben Stokes for five, before also removing top-scorer Harry Brook on 85. Unwilling to get scans until the end of this Test, Starc also cleaned up England’s tail by having Stuart Broad and Chris Woakes (36) caught.
“It’s just a case of throw a bit of tape on it and get back into it,” an understated Starc said of his shoulder. “It’s fine … it’s just a bit of discomfort.”
Starc’s delivery to dismiss Stokes was his best of the day.
Angling the ball in at the left-hander, the 33-year-old was able to move it back away and take the England captain’s off stump.
Starc has become renowned for performing when hurt, producing a similar effort with a detached tendon in his bowling finger at the MCG last year.
“It’s something I have built on,” Starc said. “I have played for over 10 years and been through a few niggles and injuries over the time. There have been times where I have left the team a man down, or others have.
“We all push through niggles and what not. We have a big week ahead of us to try and win this Ashes series. And a few weeks off, so there is no reason not to get up for this week.”
England are sweating on the fitness of Moeen’s injured groin, with the hosts at risks of being without their chief spinner for the rest of the Test.
Moeen was hurt while running between the wickets in England’s first innings on Thursday, and did not take to The Oval to field in the final session on day one.
England’s medical staff will continue to monitor the injury into Friday, after Moeen clearly struggled to run with any power after suffering the issue with the bat.
Likely playing in his last Test for England, Moeen loomed as a crucial component of the hosts bid to draw the series 2-2 in the final match.
The Oval wicket is renowned for turning, and with Australia batting last spin was likely to be a factor.
If this is to be Moeen’s exit after being called out of retirement for this series and offering no guarantees on his future, the 36-year-old went down swinging.
After seeking on-field treatment when he pulled up lame on a run, Moeen opted to take the long handle to Australia rather than retire hurt.
He scored 23 runs in his next nine balls, hooking Pat Cummins for six and then upper-cutting the quick for another boundary.
As entertaining as it was, Moeen’s decision to carry on prompted fears he may be well aware his chances of bowling in the match could be already be gone.
“That was his decision really,” Harry Brook, who top-scored with 85 and was batting with Moeen at the time, said.
“As soon as the physio left the pitch he was like ‘should I just tee off now’. And I said you should’ve been doing that from the start.
“He is one of the best power hitters in the world, and we have seen that in franchise cricket and white-ball cricket.
“Obviously he was in a fair bit of pain … Hopefully later in the game he might have a bit of a role to play.”
If Moeen is unable to bowl, England would have to lean on Joe Root as their spin option after previously using him heavily in the first two Tests at Edgbaston and Lord’s.
England are already without Ben Stokes’ bowling for this match due to his ongoing knee issues.
But they have picked four quicks in Chris Woakes, Mark Wood, Stuart Broad and James Anderson, who turns 41 on Sunday.
© AAP
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