Murphy primed for Ashes debut amid Headingley heat

In an ideal world, Todd Murphy would be recently returned from a two-day sabbatical in Paris and preparing to play for top-placed division two county outfit Durham in their four-day game against Gloucestershire at Chester-le-Street starting next Monday.

But events of past weeks have proved far from perfect and – after the French vacation was curtailed due to the unreliability of international flights – Nathan Lyon's equally fallible right calf has ensured his next cricket commitment will be a maiden Ashes Test in front of England's most hostile crowd.

Murphy is expected to be named in Australia's starting XI for the third Test starting at Headingley on Thursday as a straight swap for Lyon who, after 100 consecutive appearances, will fly home to Australia to begin his rehabilitation.

Not only has Murphy never played a match of any format in the UK, he's never before encountered the sort of supporters that flock to Headingley's western terraces where – even in circumstances far less febrile than currently – they are regarded the most partisan and raucous in a nation renowned for its jingoism.

And with the feeling whipped up by Australia's 43-run victory at Lord's, where the supposedly more genteel members carried on like football hooligans following Jonny Bairstow's stumping, the mood at Headingley is expected to be more fractious than 'normal'.

Murphy had planned on gaining experience in English conditions by turning out with Durham prior to the Ashes beginning, but that plan was put on hold after he finished his inaugural Test campaign suffering from soreness and in need of a break.

Image Id: C359B997C3FD421E919A10EBCC8077BA Image Caption: Todd Murphy chats with an injured Nathan Lyon at Lord’s // Getty

It was then decided he might take the opportunity to play for Durham between the third and fourth Ashes Tests, a move that would have required him to leave the UK to ensure he held the appropriate working visa, but that also failed to materialise when his scheduled flight was abruptly cancelled.

And any further planning was jettisoned when Lyon damaged his calf while fielding in England's first innings at Lord's, and subsequently ruled out for the remainder of the Ashes.

Murphy's four Test appearances to date came in India earlier this year, in front of fanatical near-full houses, but the 22-year-old knows that experience will pale alongside the reception he and his teammates will cop come Thursday.

"I think this might be a bit different to the Indian crowd," Murphy said ahead of Australia's major pre-Test training session at Headingley yesterday.

"They made a lot of noise, but they were all quite friendly.

"From speaking to the boys, this is probably the most hostile ground you get in England and I'm quite looking forward to it if I do get the opportunity.

"I've grown up watching Ashes cricket and love what the Barmy Army bring to the game.

"It obviously adds to the atmosphere and adds to an away series, so it's going to be different and I'm sure they won't hold back.

"I'll just embrace it and try and have a good time with it."

Despite incendiary reports in the British press suggesting otherwise, the already strong security presence at Headingley – deployed to deal with the threat of protestors who sought to interrupt the Lord's Test – hasn't been beefed up after events of the weekend.

Indeed, so unfussed are Australia's players by the pitched battle for moral high ground being waged in social and legacy media, several of them eschewed the team bus to travel from London to Leeds on Monday and opted for public transport instead.

The heckling from Headingley fans, who provided a memorable backdrop to the equally compelling Ashes Test at the venue four years ago, is tipped to reach unprecedented levels given the controversy involving local favourite, Bairstow.

However, Bairstow's England and Yorkshire teammate, Joe Root, has counselled the Leeds throng against displaying the sort of boorishness on show for the world to witness in the Long Room at Lord's last Sunday.

"Support England," was Root's advice today when asked what he would tell fans heading to the third Test with the series 2-0 in Australia's favour.

"I think that's the most important thing is that you come in to support your nation, doesn't need to go beyond that.

"It shouldn't ever go beyond that.

"Everyone should be here to enjoy the cricket on the field."

Root didn't go as far as trying to quell the wave of self-righteous indignation that has engulfed England in the wake of Bairstow's dismissal, which was wholly within the game's laws.

Instead, the former England captain doubled down on the narrative peddled by current skipper Ben Stokes and coach Brendon McCullum in the immediate aftermath of their Lord's loss that they would not have claimed a wicket in such a fashion.

"Personally, I try and put myself in that situation, that position and I'd like to think I would have dealt with it very differently," Root said when asked for his view on the dismissal of Bairstow who was stumped after walking out of his crease while the ball was still 'live'.

"As a team, we want to play our cricket a certain way and want to leave a certain legacy.

“Everyone's entitled to their opinion. Everyone will see it very differently.

"It was within the rules, it was technically out.

"If you're happy with that, then fine.

"If not, I don't think you can (criticise) other people that play the game slightly differently."

As the furore continues to rage, stoked from predictably parochial quarters, Murphy expects it's not just the Headingley crowd that will have him squarely in their sights.

England's much-trumpeted philosophy to play aggressively and place entertainment as a higher priority than winning means the rookie off-spinner will surely be targeted when it’s his time to bowl on a Headingley pitch that Root noted sports a lush covering of live grass.

Murphy revealed he had engaged in a long chat with Lyon during the latter stages of the Lord's Test, so has some inkling as to what looms given England had made it clear they would go after Australia's most successful finger spinner before he suffered his calf injury.

"I think they'll probably come even harder at me," Murphy said.

"Obviously, I haven't played a hell of a lot of Test cricket so it's a challenge that presents itself and they're going to keep taking the game on.

"I think it's just about trying to navigate through that, and come up with a few different ideas potentially, that hopefully can help.

"Just try to stay in the contest for as long as I can, and try and keep creating chances."

Neither team undertook the sort of intensive training session usually seen two days out from a Test, given the three-day turnaround between Lord's and Leeds.

Mark Wood – who is expected to come into England's XI, potentially at the expense of veteran James Anderson – was one of the few to bowl at Headingly on Tuesday, along with spinner Moeen Ali who is tipped for a recall after recovering from a finger injury.

Top-order batter Dan Lawrence could replace an injured Ollie Pope at number three, and was among the group that faced throw-downs in the nets during the morning session before many of the England squad headed for a nearby golf course.

Australia engaged in a more comprehensive hit-out, although Mitchell Starc did not bowl and his fellow quicks Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood were notable absentees from the afternoon training run.

The centre wicket at Headingley remained under cover for most of the day, with ground staff occasionally exposing it to reveal a bright green surface with some worn patches already evident around the crease lines.

Yorkshire has played just two first-class games at the venue this summer, the first of which – in early May – saw Australia seamer Michael Neser (playing for Glamorgan) snare 7-32 in favourable early conditions as the home team was skittled for 106.

The pitch then flattened out to the extent Glamorgan's other Australia import – Test number three Marnus Labuschagne – posted an unbeaten 170 before Yorkshire held out for a draw, finishing 9-412.

The other game was played less than a fortnight ago, and was even tougher going for bowlers with Yorkshire piling in 9-550 before Gloucestershire replied with 464 and the match petering out to a run-soaked draw with the home team 6-200 in their second dig.

Having never before bowled in a first-class fixture on English turf, Murphy admits there wasn't a lot he could have gleaned from looking at the Headingley pitch given his lack of previous reference points.

But after dismissing India's batting great Virat Kohli four times in as many Tests on his home decks earlier this year, the highly rated off-spinner has continued his steep learning ascent across the first five weeks of Australia's ongoing England campaign.

"Being able to sit back and watch the first couple of (Ashes) Tests and even the World Test Championship, to just gain a little bit of information about conditions and how the game is played over here and the pace of play," Murphy said of his learnings to date.

"There's little things like that you can take into account and it's just about trying to adapt to what we get on the day.

"I haven't seen the wicket out there at all, so I'm not sure what we're getting.

"But just little things like that, and try and be really adaptable on the run and work from there."

2023 Qantas Ashes Tour of the UK

First Test: Australia won by two wickets

Second Test: Australia won by 43 runs

Third Test: Thursday July 6-Monday July 10, Headingley

Fourth Test: Wednesday July 19-Sunday July 23, Old Trafford

Fifth Test: Thursday July 27-Monday 31, The Oval

Australia squad: Pat Cummins (c), Scott Boland, Alex Carey (wk), Cameron Green, Marcus Harris, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis (wk), Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Mitch Marsh, Todd Murphy, Michael Neser, Matthew Renshaw, Steve Smith (vc), Mitchell Starc, David Warner

England squad: Ben Stokes (c), Rehan Ahmed, James Anderson, Jonathan Bairstow, Stuart Broad, Harry Brook, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Dan Lawrence, Jack Leach, Ollie Pope, Matthew Potts, Ollie Robinson, Joe Root, Josh Tongue, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood