Todd Murphy Braces for England’s Attack as Australia Weigh Spin Option for Sydney Test

Todd Murphy knows exactly what is coming if he is handed the ball at the Sydney Cricket Ground. England will not sit back. They will come hard, they will come early, and they will look to put Australia’s young off-spinner under immediate pressure in the final Test of the Ashes. Murphy, though, sounds ready for it.

At just 25, Murphy finds himself once again in the conversation as Australia consider their options for the decisive Sydney Test, with Nathan Lyon sidelined for the remainder of the series due to a hamstring injury. If selected, Murphy expects to be targeted by England’s aggressive batting approach – and he is not shying away from that challenge.

“I’d say it’s a guarantee that if I play, they will be attacking against me,” Murphy said with a shrug that suggested acceptance rather than concern. “That’s how they’ve been playing. It’s been positive cricket all series, and it will be no different if I’m bowling.”

Murphy vs England: Lessons From a Tough Ashes Education

Murphy is not speaking from theory. He has already felt England’s intent up close during this Ashes series. The off-spinner featured in two Tests earlier in the campaign and was given a particularly harsh introduction at Headingley, where England went after him with little hesitation.

Yet even amid that punishment, Murphy quietly delivered. He finished the series so far with seven wickets, boasting a better average and strike-rate than any other Australian bowler. It was a reminder that numbers often tell a different story from the optics.

“You always have a chance when guys are coming after you,” Murphy explained. “It does bring you into the game a little bit more. If that’s how it plays out, I’ve got no issues with it.”

There is a calmness in Murphy’s words that suggests a player comfortable with his role, even if that role comes with risk.

Sydney Test Conditions and the Question of Spin

The bigger question for Australia is not Murphy’s mindset, but whether spin will be required at all. The Sydney Cricket Ground has a long history of assisting slow bowlers. Three of the four leading Test wicket-takers at the venue are Australian spinners – Shane Warne, Stuart MacGill and Nathan Lyon – names that loom large over any discussion about bowling in Sydney.

Traditionally, the SCG offers grip, turn and uneven bounce as matches wear on. In theory, it should be Murphy’s kind of surface.

In practice, this Ashes series has rewritten expectations.

Only nine wickets have fallen to spin across four Tests, a remarkably low number that puts this contest on course to become the Ashes series with the fewest wickets taken by spinners since records began for series of four or more matches. The previous low was 21, set during England’s 3-1 triumph in Australia in 2010–11.

The amount of spin bowled has also plummeted. This series will comfortably record the fewest combined overs of spin in Ashes history, underlining how marginal the role has become.

Why Spin Has Struggled in Australia

The reasons are not difficult to identify. Australian pitches over the past decade have leaned increasingly towards pace, with green surfaces and harder decks encouraging seam movement. Add in the Kookaburra ball, which tends to offer prolonged assistance to fast bowlers, and spinners have often been reduced to a secondary, almost functional role.

Even Nathan Lyon, Australia’s most successful modern spinner, has seen his workload gradually decrease in home series. Where once he was a constant threat, he is now often used sparingly, tasked with control rather than destruction.

Murphy understands this reality better than most.

“I still think there’s a role for spin,” he said. “But you’re not necessarily thrown the ball and told your job is to take wickets. Sometimes it’s about holding an end up, allowing the fast bowlers to rest and then come back fresh.”

Murphy’s Role If Selected for the Sydney Test

That comment reveals much about Murphy’s maturity. In seven Test matches, he has already collected 22 wickets, an impressive return for a player still learning the rhythms of international cricket. Notably, though, he has yet to play a Test match at home, making a potential appearance in Sydney another significant milestone.

If he does play, Murphy’s job may be less glamorous than fans expect. It could involve long spells into the breeze, defensive fields, and a focus on building pressure rather than ripping through line-ups. Against an England side committed to attacking cricket, that is no small task.

“You’ve got to find ways to still be effective,” Murphy said. “Even when conditions aren’t screaming for spin, you still have to do what the team needs.”

England’s Momentum After Melbourne

England arrive in Sydney buoyed by a dramatic victory in Melbourne, where they wrapped up the fourth Test inside two days. The MCG pitch, with its 10mm covering of grass, rendered spin almost redundant. Australia did not select a spinner at all, while England’s Will Jacks was not required to bowl a single over.

That result cut Australia’s series lead to 3-1 and injected fresh energy into the contest. While the Ashes may already be decided, pride and momentum are very much on the line.

England’s training schedule reflected their relaxed confidence. Their New Year’s Day session at the SCG was disrupted by rain and made optional, with only captain Ben Stokes, Joe Root and Zak Crawley among those who had played in Melbourne choosing to attend. Several others spent the day with family in the city.

Australia, by contrast, enjoyed an uninterrupted session on the same day, making the most of valuable preparation time.

Team News and Selection Dilemmas

England will be forced into at least one change. Seamer Gus Atkinson has been ruled out with a hamstring injury, opening the door for Matthew Potts, who is favourite to step in.

Australia’s own selection questions are more strategic. Do they back tradition and play a spinner at the SCG? Or do they stick with a pace-heavy attack that has dominated much of the series?

Murphy’s name is firmly in the mix, but weather forecasts and recent evidence suggest the decision is finely balanced.

A Broader Picture for Australian Cricket

Away from the Ashes, Australia have also named their provisional squad for the upcoming T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka. Test captain Pat Cummins is included despite managing a back issue that limited his Ashes involvement to just one Test.

There is also a welcome return for Josh Hazlewood, who missed the entire Ashes with hamstring and Achilles tendon problems. The squad underlines Australia’s depth and long-term planning, even as immediate focus remains on Sydney.

For Todd Murphy, however, the future is not the priority. The here and now matters more. If selected, he will walk out at the SCG knowing England intend to attack him. He accepts that reality with quiet confidence.

In modern Ashes cricket, spinners may no longer dominate as they once did. But in Sydney, with history whispering from the stands, Murphy might yet find that one good spell is all it takes to remind everyone that spin still has a say.