For the first time in just under nine years, Australia is set to unleash an out-and-out spinner that isn’t Nathan Lyon.
That man is Todd Murphy.
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Not since left-arm orthodox Steve O’Keefe partnered Lyon at the SCG in January 2017 has the nation caught a glimpse of another spinner on home shores. 3,272 days ago to be exact.
We’ve seen two spinners deployed simultaneously across several other countries around the globe; namely India and Sri Lanka in recent times.
But so good has ‘the GOAT’ Lyon been through the second half of his career that no burden — or pitch — has required him to shoulder the load alongside another.
The selection of Ashton Agar in Sydney three years ago is perhaps the only exception to this significant milestone, though once plucked from obscurity in 2013 as a specialist spinner, he has since transformed into a bowling all-rounder who also excels in the field.
In other words, this marks a notable line in the sand when it comes to life after Lyon, after the 38-year-old was ruled out of the remainder of this Ashes series with a torn right hamstring.
Murphy, who turned 25 last month, has already represented Australia’s red-ball side seven times since his stunning debut in India in February 2023.
The right-arm off-spinner took 7/124 in Nagpur, a performance that locked him in for the remaining three matches of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
Two further Tests on English soil later that year broadened his overseas experience, with Murphy finishing the 2023 Ashes with seven wickets at an average of 25.85.
His most recent Australian appearance came in January this year on a flat Galle wicket in Sri Lanka, before being dropped for the following Test in favour of Cooper Connolly, a batting all-rounder from Western Australia.
Crucially, Murphy has fronted both India and England with notable success, even if from a relatively small sample size. In this instance, it looks to have been a notable factor in his green light for the fourth Test.
It’s important to note that Murphy is not a like-for-like replacement for Lyon in a broader, technical sense. On face value, both bowl right-arm off-spin, but the way they generate revolutions on the ball differs.
Murphy, like counterpart Matt Kuhnemann, releases the ball more squarely from the hand, generally resulting in fewer deliveries that turn sharply and a heavier reliance on accuracy, patience and control.
Lyon and Rocchiccioli, by contrast, release the ball with a more pronounced overspin, allowing them to extract greater bounce and side-spin.
These were sentiments echoed by former Australian spinner and Fox Cricket expert Kerry O’Keeffe on the Follow On Podcast with foxsports.com.au senior reporter Courtney Walsh.
So while Murphy isn’t the next Nathan Lyon in a technical sense, he is the man who has rightfully earned first dibs in the role on home soil.
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His Australia A performances reinforce his consistency across several seasons, with New South Wales bowling all-rounder and Sydney Sixers teammate Sean Abbott among those best placed to vouch for his readiness.
“What I will say about Todd, and my favourite trait about him, is that it doesn’t matter the situation or who he’s bowling to, he just grabs the ball and does his thing,” Abbott told media at the SCG on Tuesday morning.
“Whether he’s getting hit to the fence or tying a batter down, he looks exactly the same at the top of his mark.
“It’s no surprise he’s done well in Asia against some quality players of spin. If he got his opportunity ahead of the other spinners, I think he’d fit in seamlessly and do a job.
“England are obviously under pressure at the minute, but they take a proactive approach. Todd’s well-placed to navigate those challenges, he’s not flustered by who he’s bowling at or the situation of the game.”
Kuhnemann or Rocchiccioli would have certainly been up for the fight had fortune swung their way, a reflection of the depth of first-class spin currently at Australia’s disposal.
Australia may not yet be replacing Lyon, but in trusting Murphy, they are beginning to map out what comes next — and, perhaps for the first time in nearly a decade, allowing themselves to look beyond the shadow of their greatest-ever off-spinner.
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