Australia Playing XI 1st TEST – IND vs AUS: Pat Cummins is super impressed by rookie Todd Murphy. And there are chances that the Australian skipper might give the spinner a chance to make his Test debut in Nagpur. According to many, the offspinner, who has only played seven first-class games, could end up being the tour’s big surprise. Now with the captain in awe with Murphy’s skills, Australia may use two right-arm off-spinners for the first Test. Follow India vs Australia LIVE updates with InsideSport.IN
In the lead-up to the series opener, the likelihood of Todd Murphy playing alongside Nathan Lyon in Nagpur is a major talking topic for selectors.
Talking about Murphy, Cummins was quoted by Fox Sports as following:
“I’ve only seen a little bit of Todd. Obviously, he’s done really well in Shield cricket, and the guys that have faced him have been really impressed with not just his stock ball, but also his variations.”
Australia Playing XI 1st TEST: Pat Cummins ‘SUPER-IMPRESSED’, likely to include ROOKIE Todd Murphy in PLAYING XI for 1st TEST in Nagpur: Follow IND vs AUS LIVE
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Aussie skipper also opened up about the differences that Murphy brings to the table.
“Mixing up the pace, flights it slightly differently to what Nathan does, and getting those opportunities like at North Sydney to really have the conditions in your favour is fun. It’s where you can get really creative,” he said.
“I thought he and Ashton Agar in particular really enjoyed it. You can kind of relax and really show off how good you are. They were both impressive, could kind of land it where they wanted to more often than not and change different speeds and arm paths and angles to the crease – all those subtleties that you might not be able to pick up on the TV, but do make a big difference,” Cummins concluded.
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Aussie selection showdown
Spin plays a bigger role in Test cricket in the subcontinent than everywhere else in the globe. That’s why there is currently a tremendous competition taking place in the nets and backstage for spot of spinners in the Aussie Playing XI.
The biggest selection conundrum for the Australians comes in the bowling ranks, where there are major questions about who will bowl alongside Nathan Lyon as the team’s second spinner.
During the Sydney Test, Ashton Agar was included, and despite his difficulties against South Africa, he impressed Cummins.
However, Todd Murphy, 22, is expected to earn his Test debut against India as a surprise, with Cummins indicating that he has been very outstanding in training.
