Nagpur: Former AFL coach Rodney Eade has a theory that when an athlete says they have nothing to lose, they often lose. From an individual point of view, Todd Murphy is the exception to that rule.
On his Test debut, Australian cricket’s new spin sensation slayed some of the giants of the world game, continuing his meteoric rise from first grade to the highest level.
Just nine months ago, Murphy who did not take up spin bowling until the age of 16, was plying his trade in Darwin club cricket during the off-season when he was plucked from relative obscurity to tour Sri Lanka with the Australia A side despite not commanding a regular place in the Victoria team.
He did not set the world on fire, taking four wickets at 32 in the two unofficial Tests, but “A” tours are the research and development arm of the elite men’s program, and the lessons he learned set him up for his head-turning performance in Nagpur.
Australia’s Todd Murphy celebrates dismissal of India’s Virat Kohli during the second day of the first cricket test match.Credit:AP
“I think this time last year I was still not in the state side so it sort of has been quite a quick progress.
“But one of the biggest things for me was getting to go to Sri Lanka and being on that A tour and having a little bit of success over that probably gave me the confidence I needed going back to Australia that I could mix it with first-class cricketers,” Murphy said.
“Being around some of the guys who had played Test cricket, observing everything and competing in the nets and bowling to the Sri Lankans, I took a lot of confidence out of that and reflected and went back, trusted myself a bit more and thought ‘what I’ve got can be good enough’ and believe in that.”
Challenges do not come any more daunting than taking on India in their conditions. Though the pitch was friendly to his craft, he was up against players who have played on these type of pitches since they could hold a bat.
The match situation was also against him. Bowlers can lose their patience and over-attack when chasing the game, but Murphy displayed the smarts not expected of a player with such little experience at the top level.
The great Virat Kohli and the modern day wall of India, Cheteshwar Pujara, were among his five Test wickets.
As his state captain Peter Handscomb has said, Murphy does not lack confidence, backing himself to set his own fields. At one point he gestured a more experienced teammate to move squarer in the deep. He stuck to his plans – attacking the stumps and making the batter play, backing himself to draw an error.
“I think there’s definitely nerves but there’s also excitement about just being out there and trying to embrace it and just enjoy it and bowl to these sort of guys, some of the best players in the world,” Murphy said.
“It’s exciting and (I’ve) sort of got nothing to lose, so I’ve tried to go out there and try to really enjoy it and just compete as hard as I can. Thankfully, today there’s a few rewards, I didn’t get too overawed by it and just tried to embrace it.”
Murphy has greater scope for improvement than most players his age. He was a medium-pacer until six years until, fatefully, he decided his seamers were no good.
“It just comes a time where I was tinkering in the nets with off-spin bowling and yeah, got some really good feedback that what was coming out of my hand was alright, so just went from there and kept working at it – and it’s been the best thing I’ve ever done,” Murphy said. “[I’m] so thankful I have.”
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