The much-anticipated ENG vs AUS 4th Test began with lots of zest & peps. But when Australia unveiled their Playing XI, cricket fans were in shock. This is because they choose Cameron Green at the cost of Todd Murphy. The epic move came after Australia’s humiliating defeat at the hands of England in the third Test. Aussies bowling attack failed to defend a total of 251 runs which resulted in Australia’s loss. So heading into the fourth Test, the Australian team Captain decided to go with a seam attack in the Trafford Test.
Why did Pat Cummins made Changes in Australia’s Playing XI for the ENG vs AUS 4th Test?
Ahead of the fourth Test match, Cummins said that he has specifically made two changes to their Playing XI. They have included all-rounder Cameron Green & pacer Josh Hazlewood in place of Scott Boland and off-spinner Todd Murphy. Cummins said that a spin attack will not be crucial for the fourth Test looking at the overcast conditions in Trafford. And according to Cummins going with an all-seam attack with all-rounders in place would be a perfect move for the crucial Trafford Test. Resting Scott Boland & bringing in Josh Hazlewood is a good move. But resting off-spinner Todd Murphy & going with an all-seam pace attack seems to be a shaky move.
Let’s have a look at the Reasons why Todd Murphy’s Exclusion from the ENG vs AUS 4th Test can act against the Visitors:
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Todd Murphy can scalp crucial wickets in Crunch Situations
Todd Murphy played his career’s first Ashes Test last week when he featured in Headingley Test. Though he was smashed for maximum runs he was given just 9.3 overs to bowl during the fixture. He conceeded maximum runs with England batters punishing him for boundaries. Even his economy rate was more than six runs per over in the second innings.
But it doesn’t change the fact that it was Murphy who grabbed the wicket of Ben Stokes in the first innings when Stokes was smashing Aussies all across the park. Stokes was batting on 80 & was looking dangerous. But it was Murphy’s delivery that puzzled Stokes & he went for a big shot handing a catch to Smith near the boundary line.
If Murphy was included in the Playing XI then it could have helped Australia as England’s batters while trying some big shots off Murphy’s bowling could have easily lost their wickets. You never know when a less experienced bowler could actually land you a big wicket.
2) Murphy’s inclusion could have solved the problem of variety in the bowling lineup
Australia are currently moving ahead with four right-arm pace options in their bowling department i.e. Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Marsh, and Cameron Green. Their fifth bowling option is left-arm pacer Mitchell Starc. These five pacers have different bowling styles & paces. And going with a complete seam attack doesn’t seem right in such a crucial phase.
The addition of an off-spinner in the face of Todd Murphy could have added some variety in Australia’s bowling attack. Murphy is such a bowler that he could scalp wickets even in conditions that are not spin-friendly. Looking at Murphy’s calibre he should have been given one more chance of proving his worth by including him in the fourth Ashes test.
Not to forget Todd Murphy has displayed remarkable performance during BGT 2023 in India. He was the one who register a five-wicket haul in his debut match. And his inclusion in the fourth Ashes Test could have acted in Australia’s favor.
3) Australia managed to beat England with a spin-heavy bowling unit in the 2019 Ashes at Old Trafford
Australia defeated England by 185 runs in their last meeting in Ashes 2019 at the Emirates Old Trafford. They were assigned the task of defending a target of 383 runs in the fourth innings. And the bowlers managed to outclass England at just 197 runs.
At that time Australia marched into the fixture with a spin-heavy attack. Though traditionally the Trafford pitch assists pacers & batters it had something to offer for spinners in the Ashes 2019 Tests. Australia bowlers had 34 spin overs with their top spinners Nathan Lyon, Marnus Labuschagne, and Travis Head leading the spin attack. Though all 34 were maiden overs, not a single spinner had an economy rate of more than 2.25. When Trafford’s pitch was so good with the spinner back in 2019 then why would it have not supported the spinners in today’s clash?
A Glimpse of Todd Murphy’s Career So Far
Todd Murphy is a prolific right-arm off-spinner who made his first-class debut for Victoria back in April 2021. After displaying prolific performances in first-class cricket Murphy made his Test debut during BGT 2023 Test against India. Notably, he played just seven first-class fixtures & he got a nod for playing a crucial BGT Test series against India. Morphy didn’t let this opportunity go away from his hands. And right on his debut, he achieved a rare feat by registering a five-wicket haul & scripting his name in the history of the Test format of Cricket.
Joining the likes of Scott Boland, Josh Hazlewood, Pat Cummins, and Nathan Lyon on the list of Australian players with five-fer on their debut, Murphy became the 35th Australian to register a five-fer in his Test debut. His selection was the right decision for Australia as he returned with prized wickets of KL Rahul, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli, Srikar Bharat, and Ravichandran Ashwin. Not only this he was the one who was dismissed four times during the Border Gavaskar Trophy Tests which is an accomplishment in itself.
It was Murphy’s heroic performance in the BGT 2023 Test that helped him to earn a maiden call-up for Ashes 2023 series along with some big names of Australian Cricket. And the exclusion of such a gifted player from a crucial Test fixture is not going well with the Australian fans & cricket pundits.
Our Final Take on Murphy’s Exclusion from the ENG vs AUS 4th Test
According to us, playing a proficient off-spinner Todd Murphy could have done wonders for Australia. He has proved his prowess in Border Gavaskar Series 2023 by returning with figures of 7 for 124 in his debut match. And now when his team is playing such a crucial fixture against mighty opponents, Murphy could have actually provided them assistance with some important wickets.
What do you think will Australia regret the exclusion of Todd Murphy from the Playing XI of the ENG vs AUS 4th Test? Share with us your views!
Also read, ENG vs AUS 4th Test, Ashes 2023: Preview & Prediction
