Ashes 2023: Todd Murphy’s axing proof Australia will not play a spinner at all costs

Tonight’s Ashes Test marks the first time in more than a decade that Australia will not field a specialist spinner, a move has the potential to live in infamy, writes Daniel Cherny.

In hindsight, there were several moments in which the writing was on the wall for Todd Murphy.

That he bowled just two overs in England’s successful run chase at Headingley had to spell concern.

Pat Cummins stressed after the match that he had wanted to bowl Murphy more but that conditions weren’t overly helpful, and that the hosts’ innings had barely lasted 50 overs.

All well and good in theory, but the thought kept gnawing: Nathan Lyon would surely have bowled more than Murphy in the same situation.

Cummins’ faith in Murphy understandably came into question, and in as nice a way as he could, Cummins acknowledged on Tuesday that for all the wraps on a young spinner widely considered the most promising prospect since Lyon himself, Murphy is not the GOAT.

“Nathan Lyon is the greatest offspinner we’ve ever had so it’s not quite apples for apples,” Cummins said.

Nathan Lyon was left on crutches during the second Ashes cricket Test. Picture: AFP

“We are really excited by Todd, think he’s fantastic. Would have loved to use him a bit more last week, think conditions just favoured pace bowling. We played a Test in Hobart last year in the Ashes where Nath didn’t bowl an over.

“It’s all conditions based, we are really excited by Todd, with think it’s a gun, we love having him around, he’s got a big future. It was more conditions or the way I used him, as opposed to how he bowled.”

So, Australia – who played three frontline spinners in a Test as recently as March – go in without any for the first time in more than 11 years.

That it happens at the scene where the “ball of the century” was delivered by Shane Warne, a St Kilda teammate of Murphy’s father Jamie, makes it all the more remarkable.

The Hobart example is interesting. It is true that Lyon didn’t bowl in the fifth Test of the 2021-22 Ashes, but never was there any serious consideration to him not playing.

Indeed Cummins had spelled out as much in the lead-up to the fateful Lord’s Test a few weeks ago in which Lyon’s run of 100 straight Tests was stopped in its tracks.

“I know at the start of his career, you’d talk about (possibly playing) four quicks at the Gabba but he’s just so valuable to our team that I couldn’t imagine a side without Nath in there,” Cummins said.

Todd Murphy has been cut in favour of a deeper batting line-up. Picture: Getty Images

That was against the backdrop of England opting against picking a specialist spinner given Mooeen Ali’s finger issues and a lack of clear replacement.

Well Cummins soon got to use his imagination. Lyon’s calf gave way late on day two at Lord’s meaning Australia had to take the last 19 wickets in the match without him.

Questioned as to whether Murphy was an automatic selection in Lyon’s absence, coach Andrew McDonald twice went on record saying that Australia preferred to play a spinner.

But whereas with Lyon it was unconditional, a clear caveat has emerged when it comes to anyone else.

With Mitch Marsh undroppable on the back of his heroics in the third Test, selectors had the chance to leave out Cameron Green or David Warner, both having middling tours at best.

The Aussies instead decided to leave out a spinner who hadn’t even bowled 10 overs at Leeds.

There is no way Lyon would have lost that selection showdown, but Murphy was expendable in the circumstances, given rain threatens to shorten the match, England has to win to keep the series alive, and England don’t tend to bat very long in any case in the Bazball era.

David Warner was retained despite being little more than a walking wicket this series. Picture: Getty Images

When Travis Head and Marnus Labuschagne both bowled more than usual at training on Monday, suspicions that the Aussies would consign Murphy to the drinks grew.

Perhaps the biggest hint should have come when Australia decided against calling an extra spinner into its squad when Lyon was ruled out of the series. If playing a spinner was an immutable law, then Matt Kuhnemann, Mitchell Swepson or even Adam Zampa would have been brought into the camp.

That Murphy remained the sole spinner showed that the Aussies were not bedded to spin at any cost. To be fair it was a similar situation in 2019, when Jon Holland was culled from an extended squad leaving Lyon without an understudy all tour.

This is not Australia’s first contentious spin call on an Ashes tour this century. Lyon was axed for Ashton Agar in 2013, while Nathan Hauritz was left out for the decisive rubber at The Oval in 2009, a call selector on duty Jamie Cox later conceded was an error.

That decision lives in infamy, and this one has the potential to do the same should things go pear-shaped.

Originally published as Ashes 2023: Todd Murphy’s axing proof Australia will not play a spinner at all costs