Australia v India Test: Todd Murphy set to debut in Nagpur

Todd Murphy’s family has made a mad dash to Nagpur as the little-known Victorian prepares to debut in the first Test against India. Find out the latest team whispers here.

Uncapped spinner Todd Murphy appears set to make his Test debut in Nagpur, with Australia to deploy two specialist off-spinners in a Test for the first time since 1988.

It is understood members of the Victorian’s family are travelling to Nagpur after being notified he would play in the first Test against India.

Speaking from Nagpur on Wednesday, Australian captain Pat Cummins did not reveal the playing XI but confirmed the selectors had chosen the side.

Cummins said 22-year-old Murphy would be “as prepared as he could be” for his baptism of fire in India.

“He’s been bowling beautifully in the nets over here,” he said.

“He’s started really well for Victoria in first-class cricket. If he got the nod, he’s got Nathan Lyon down the other end that he can work with.

Todd Murphy is poised to debut in the first Test against India.

“He’s ready – everyone in the squad here has had really good preparation. Whoever we pick is 100 per cent ready to go. “

Murphy’s inclusion has likely come at the expense of either Ashton Agar or Scott Boland, although Australia may have opted to elevate keeper Alex Carey to number six to accommodate an extra bowler in the side.

His selection caps off a whirlwind start to his first-class career, in which he has claimed 29 wickets at 25 in seven matches.

He starred with hauls of 3-44 and 4-42 in his most recent Sheffield Shield game against NSW in December.

The 22-year-old toured Sri Lanka with Australia A in 2022 and impressed with a haul of 4-52 in Hambantota.

Australia has not opted for two right arm off-spinners in its bowling line-up since Tim May and Peter Taylor played together on the 1988 tour of Pakistan.

Todd Murphy celebrates a Sheffield Shield wicket.

INDIA’S SHIFTY PITCH DOCTORING INFLUENCING AUSSIES

Robert Craddock and Ed Bourke

Australia is contemplating one of its biggest selection gambles in decades by promoting young off spinner Todd Murphy for Thursday’s first Test.

It is understood the nightmare state of the Nagpur pitch has Australia looking to increase its spin stocks and Murphy has been placed on alert that he is very much in the mix to play in the first Test against India at Nagpur.

Murphy, who only started bowling off-spin six years ago, has won plaudits around Australia in his brief first class career which features 29 wickets at 25 from seven matches.

The 22-year-old toured Sri Lanka in last year’s Australia A squad and took 4-52 against Sri Lanka in Hambantota.

Todd Murphy is poised to make his Test debut for Australia. Picture: Robert Cianflone/Getty Images

Australia has been impressed by his skill set and temperament on tour and while it is highly unusual to have two frontline off-spinners in the one Test side these are highly unusual circumstances.

India have doctored the pitch to produce an unusual deck that features dry patches outside the left-handers off stumps.

The last time Australia selected two off-spinners in a Test side was 35 years ago when Tim May and Peter Taylor shared duties in the 1988 tour of Pakistan.

Murphy is being mentored by veteran Lyon and Australia feels he has the game to become Australia’s next long term off-spinner.

If Murphy gets in the team he could play instead of Ashton Agar or Scott Boland or Australia could play Alex Carey at No 6 and play an extra bowler.

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 #IndvAuspic.twitter.com/Myr2ZblqCg

— Bharat Sundaresan (@beastieboy07) February 7, 2023

WHY AUSTRALIA MAY WANT TO AVOID PITCH BATTLE

The International Cricket Council should launch an immediate investigation into India’s disgraceful pitch doctoring – but Pat Cummins must be careful of his next step.

In the colourful and occasionally sordid world of Test wicket preparation it’s hard to recall a more obvious example of a doctored deck than this son of pitch in Nagpur.

Curators from all nations have been able to get away with producing pitches that suit the home side under the guise of “well, it's the same for both sides.’’

But that’s the problem with this deck. It’s not.

Australia were likely to field six left-handers in their top eight where all of India’s key batsmen are right handers.

Matt Renshaw was believed to be in front of Peter Handscomb in the battle for the No 6 spot but Handscomb’s chances must now soar because he is right-hander who would be playing the non-corrupted’’ part of the pitch.

If Renshaw was omitted he would be the first batsmen in cricket history to lose his Test place because of a corrupt piece of curating.

The pitch scandal is the first major public relations challenge to captain Cummins on tour.

The Australians could be excused for being furious and are within their rights to scream the house down in protest.

But India is a tricky tour. Sometimes you are best to let the outside world do their shouting for you.

As experienced journalist Bharat Sundaresan said recently the skill to beating India in India is going quietly and not riling the home side or their fans.

It is easier said than done. Australia has every right to blow up publicly over this deck but sometimes in India it doesn’t matter who is right or wrong – the war inside your own head is the one you must win.

Originally published as Australia v India Test: Todd Murphy set to debut in Nagpur