“You have to play a spinner in a Test match, Old Trafford especially”: Todd Murphy ahead of fourth Test
Jul 18, 2023
Manchester [UK], July 18 : England spinner Moeen Ali suggested that Australia should play a spinner in the fourth Test of the Ashes series and said that Todd Murphy could be their main option in the Playing XI.
Having replaced the injured Nathan Lyon at Headingley, Murphy only bowled 9.3 overs during England's victorious chase. England won the third Ashes Test by three wickets in Headingley.
Old Trafford has a rich history of spin bowling in Ashes cricket. Shane Warne in 1993 had got success with the bounce and turn at the venue, picking up 21 wickets in three games. Lyon, who played twice in 2013 and 2019, had less success, claiming just three wickets in two matches.
Ahead of the fourth test of the Ashes series starting from Wednesday, Moeen said: "You have to play a spinner in a Test match no matter where it is, in my opinion, but Old Trafford especially."
"I think the way they used him [Murphy], it was a difficult one, I think the chase was a difficult one because we would have preferred facing a spinner. [They] were missing Nathan Lyon, who has been a massive part of the team and does an amazing job for them," he said, according to ESPNcricinfo.
Moeen thinks that using a new bowler is always helpful to the captain and especially when that bowler in a spinner.
"Todd's good, he looks really good, he's got really good potential and I'm sure he's going to bowl a lot more here. From a captain's point of view, it's not always easy to use somebody who's pretty new into the side, especially a spinner, and I think that's where captaincy really comes into it now.
Because when you've got a good spinner like Swanny [Graeme Swann] used to be or Nathan Lyon, it's quite easy, just give them the ball. But now I think for Pat it will be a test of real captaincy and let's see how good you are now, but he's done a good job so far," Moeen concluded.
Australia lead the series 2-1 heading into the crucial fourth Test starting Wednesday.
