Ashes 2023: Selectors left with spinning headaches after England win at Headingley
Could Australia forego a spinner at Old Trafford? England’s fightback at Headingley has left selectors with plenty to think about ahead of the fourth Test.
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It’s considered almost un-Australian not to pick a spinner, but the shockwaves of England’s Ashes fightback has put newcomer Todd Murphy under immediate pressure.
David Warner has been singled out as the man facing the axe, but could Australian selectors follow England’s elastic thinking and arrive at the conclusion that if you no longer have your first choice spinner available … all-rounders might be the next best bet?
It seems almost sacrilege on the 30th anniversary of Shane Warne’s ‘ball of the century’ at Old Trafford to suggest it, but Australia will have to get creative if it wants to fit both its matchwinning seam all-rounders Mitchell Marsh and Cameron Green into the same XI.
If Moeen Ali can remove Marnus Labuschagne and Steve Smith and turn the Test match for England, then could Australia’s equivalent part-timer Travis Head step up and do the same for Australia in the profound void left by Nathan Lyon?
It’s a serious question to be asked when Murphy was only trusted for nine overs by Pat Cummins at Headingley, and when Australia has such a unique problem with Marsh and Green jostling for a spot.
Certainly an Australian batting order with Green, Marsh and Alex Carey batting at 6, 7 and 8 has a powerful feel to it.
Cummins explained that “conditions” was the main reason why Murphy was only given two overs on the final day at Headingley, and while the fourth Test venue Old Trafford is traditionally the best pitch in England for spinners, Lyon only took two wickets at Manchester when Australia won in 2019.
Selectors will be reluctant to leave Marsh or a fit again Green out of their side, and Head’s very competent 2-17 return at Lord’s after Lyon went down is significant.
Australia was riding high when England’s spinner Jack Leach was ruled out with injury before a ball was bowled and spinning all-rounder Moeen – who hadn’t played a first-class match in two years – was ushered in as his replacement.
But now the shoe is on the other foot.
Lyon is gone, England are on the scoreboard, and the logic of backing a part-timer to do a specialist’s job doesn’t seem quite so outlandish, despite the fact Murphy is an outstanding talent and performed brilliantly on debut in India earlier this year.
There is little doubt Lyon would have bowled more than nine overs at Headingley had he been fit, and selectors need to decide whether Murphy can overcome his lack of experience in English conditions and the fact Baz Ball has put a target on his head, and be a difference-maker for Australia in next week’s crunch fourth Test when the Ashes is on the line and the pressure is rising.
Cummins might have refused to guarantee Warner’s place in the post-match press conference, but he was more positive about Warner’s prospects when asked by Mike Atherton on-field immediately after play.
The captain referenced Warner’s underrated but key role in laying a platform at the top of the order for Australia’s victories in both of the first Two Ashes Tests as well as the World Test Championship Final. Headingley is the only match where he hasn’t contributed, and keeping Smith and Head away from the new ball remains the key for Australia to create history this series.
There seems little risk of Warner being bumped out of the side for the reserve specialist opener Marcus Harris at this stage of proceedings, so to punt the 36-year-old from the XI would mean turning the batting order upside down and opening with either Head, Marsh or Green.
At 2-1 up, those desperation stakes may not have arrived quite yet.
The other man who has entered the mix after Scott Boland’s underwhelming third Test is Michael Neser – who has the ability to be Australia’s version of Chris Woakes, England’s skilled wicket-taker and handy lower-order run-maker.
Australian selectors have pulled the right reins so far this series, but the series-defining calls are coming in a few days’ time.
Warner, Marsh, Green? Crash answers your Ashes questions
– Robert Craddock
Are the Aussies in trouble?
After being on the verge of claiming a famous Ashes victory, Pat Cummins and his side now find themselves back in a fight.
And questions are coming thick and fast about selection.
Is David Warner in trouble?
Can the Aussies squeeze Mitch Marsh and Cameron Green in?
What happens to Scott Boland?
Highly respected cricket journalist Robert Craddock will be on deck to take your questions in his live Q&A from 12pm AEST.
Leave him your Ashes question below.
‘All options open’: No guarantees Warner retains spot
– Daniel Cherny
Australian captain Pat Cummins has stopped short of endorsing David Warner to retain his spot for next week’s fourth Test with Cameron Green set to be available.
The Aussies will head to Manchester having been unable to close out the series at Headingley, falling to a three-wicket loss on Sunday but still holding a 2-1 lead with two Tests remaining.
Australian players are set to disperse around the UK and even Europe before training resumes at the back end of the week.
It means selectors have plenty of time to ponder what looks an increasingly cloudy picture after Green’s all-rounder understudy Mitch Marsh shone with a century and a wicket in both innings to mount a highly compelling case to retain his spot in the side.
Having missed the Leeds Test with a minor hamstring complaint, Green was fit enough to be able to field briefly on Sunday with the Aussies flagging his impending availability for the Old Trafford clash.
Warner has already marked his intended Test retirement for next January but looks no guarantee to make it that far after twice falling to bogeyman Stuart Broad for scores of four and one in the third Test.
While Warner made an impressive half-century at Lord’s, he is no longer the force he once was, averaging 28.17 in Test cricket over the past three years.
Paceman Josh Hazlewood, rested for the third Test, should also be available for a recall, leaving Scott Boland in the gun after he went wicketless to continue a challenging series.
Asked whether Warner could be left out, Cummins – who is not a selector but has input on decisions – did not shut down the idea.
“You keep all options open,” Cummins said.
“We’ve got nine, nine or 10 days now so we’ll take a deep breath. We’ll go away for a few days. But everyone comes back into it. Greeny should be fit for Manchester. Josh will be back in there as well. So we should have a full roster and we’ll have a look at the wicket and have a chat and work out the best XI.”
Asked whether it was feasible for Marsh to be omitted, Cummins said: “Yeah, it’s possible but I mean, it was pretty impressive week wasn’t it?”
Spinner Todd Murphy bowled just two of the 50 overs in England’s run chase and just 9.3 for the game. Cummins attributed the Victorian’s limited involvement to the pitch.
“Mainly just conditions-based,” Cummins said.
“Didn’t quite spin as much as we thought it would. And probably didn’t bowl as many overs as we thought we would as well. We bowled under 60 both innings. I would have liked to get Toddy into the game a bit more. But I’m sure next week in Manchester will be a bit more spin friendly.”
The Aussies had reached level pegging when Mitchell Starc blasted through England’s middle-order to leave the hosts six down with 80 runs still to get, but Harry Brook, Chris Woakes and Mark Wood steered the hosts home.
Cummins said he was largely comfortable with the way the tourists had gone about things in the fourth innings.
“I’ll have another look at it and see if there’s anything we might do differently,” Cummins said.
“I still felt like with the ball there was a little bit in there. So happy to give away a single but still felt like we left our catchers in, the two or three slips where you felt like you were going to take your wickets anyway. Overall, not bad. You might look at a few different ways to go about it, but I felt like we made some decent decisions out there.”
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