Todd Murphy has etched himself in Australian cricket folklore after taking figures of 7/124 in his Test debut against India as the hosts were bowled out for 400 in Nagpur.
Murphy’s first innings performance catapulted him into national prominence, outshining fellow right-arm off-spinner Nathan Lyon in a dazzling performance.
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The 22-year-old now counts himself with the fourth best bowling figures by an Australian who made their debut overseas, with Bob Massie’s 8/53 and 8/84 in 1972 as well as Jason Krejza’s 8/215 in 2008 ahead of him.
Murphy’s seven-wicket haul also made him only the sixth Aussie to accomplish the feat in their Test debut.
Former Australian Test opener Matthew Hayden was full of praise for the youngster.
“It’s a brilliant piece of selection and backed up by some courageous bowling,” Hayden said in commentary.
Murphy’s dream debut five wicket haul | 02:08
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“Thrown into the lion’s den here in Nagpur on conditions that are always going to spin, and spin they were.”
Speaking on Fox Cricket’s broadcast, Brad Haddin stated Murphy “got better and better as his spells went on” while Allan Border marvelled how that for “someone so young to put that performance together, that’s a real positive so far.”
It was the latest feat for the spectacle-wearing debutant who astonishingly has just seven first-class matches to his name for Victoria and was a part of the Australian A tour to Sri Lanka last year.
The initial decision to include Murphy represented somewhat of a gamble from Australian selectors given it was the first time since 1988 that two off-spinners for a Test.
However, Murphy repaid their faith in spades, with his seven-wicket haul including dismissals of Indian stars such as Virat Kohli, KL Rahul and Cheteshwar Pujara to name three.
Murphy also became the first Aussie to take seven wickets in a Test since his spinning compatriot Lyon achieved the feat in 2017, per ABC statistician Ric Finlay.
