Murphy eyes spin-friendly conditions at SCG for Ashes finale

Australia offspinner Todd Murphy is hopeful that spin will finally come to the fore in the fifth and final Ashes Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground, a venue traditionally known to offer assistance to slower bowlers, after playing only a limited role in a series dominated by pace.

Spin has largely been a peripheral factor across the first four Tests, with England opting not to play frontline spinner Shoaib Bashir and Australia’s veteran Nathan Lyon restricted before being ruled out through injury. Lyon’s absence has opened the door for Murphy, who now has a strong chance of leading Australia’s spin attack on home soil.

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“I don’t think going into the series there was ever that planning or idea that spin wouldn’t play a role,” Murphy said on Thursday. “I think it’s sort of just been how it’s eventuated. I think it’ll evolve from year to year. Next year it could be completely different.”

Murphy has taken 22 wickets in seven Tests so far, all of them overseas. His most recent appearance for Australia came in Galle in February 2025. Since making his Test debut in 2023, opportunities at home have been scarce with Lyon firmly established as Australia’s premier spinner.

That reality, Murphy said, was something he had accepted early in his career. “[When I made my debut] I probably understood back then it was never going to be linear for me. I was never going to keep my place in the team when Nathan came back and I was always going to have to go back through Shield cricket and keep developing.

With the SCG surface yet to reveal its full character, Murphy believes there will still be enough in the pitch to bring spin into the contest, drawing confidence from his experience at the venue in domestic cricket.

“I think it definitely can spin,” he said. “We’ve played on some BBL wickets here where it has taken spin. I’ve only played a couple of Shield games and don’t think it’s ever done anything extraordinary out there. I don’t think recently it’s been a massive spin but there’s still been a big part of the game that spin played.”

Australia have rarely opted for two frontline spinners in Sydney Tests over the past decade, largely due to the strength of their pace attack and limited assistance for spinners on domestic surfaces. Murphy acknowledged that trend has been shaped by how pitches have evolved in recent years.

“Shield cricket over the last couple of years, which is what I’ve had the main experience in, has evolved a little bit to be more seam friendly,” he said. “I think that comes from just the importance of results in four-day cricket and spin probably just doesn’t break up enough in four days.

“So they’ve probably gone down the path of trying to make it speed up at the start of the game, but I still think you look across all games and spin still plays a massive part. So there’s always a role there for you to play, it might just not be day four and bowling 30 overs to spin your team to victory, but it still feels like you’ve always got a part to play in the game.”

Murphy added that his understanding of the spinner’s role has matured, extending beyond just wicket-taking. “I think I’ve probably learnt that. Your job’s not always to come on and take wickets. It might be to play a holding role for four or five overs for the quicks so they can have a break and then come back. And that can be just as important. I think you’ve got to find ways to try and still be effective out there and still be able to play a role for what the team needs.”

With the Ashes already decided, the Sydney Test could offer Murphy a rare opportunity to showcase his growth and stake a stronger claim as Australia’s next long-term spin option at home.