One of the best spinners in Australian cricket right now is Todd Murphy. He had an outstanding debut series in India earlier this year, taking 14 wickets at an average of 25.21 in four games. After Nathan Lyon was forced out of the Ashes due to a calf injury, he also participated in a handful of Test matches against England and claimed seven wickets at a cost of 25.86.
The 23-year-old is making an effort to adjust to the hectic routine that comes with living in Australia. Due to stiff shoulders, Todd Murphy was forced to miss two Sheffield Shield matches for Victoria. However, on November 29, he resumed bowling in preparation for the Prime Minister’s XI versus Pakistan match in Canberra the following week.
It’s just been about trying to manage myself through that because it’s been a very huge 12 months and something I hadn’t been exposed to. Murphy was quoted by ESPNcricinfo as saying, “There have been issues with a few minor niggles and I think the shoulder is just another one of those.”
After the UK series, it became a little more agitated. After a few demanding Shield matches and some one-day cricket, it became a little more worn out. I therefore took advantage of the moment to try and give it a chance to calm down and strengthen it again in preparation for what should be a fairly busy summer overall and some shield cricket to round off the year. I didn’t want to burn myself out too soon since I knew it would be a long summer,” Murphy continued.
Todd Murphy wants to be prepared to grab the chance when it presents itself.
Given that Nathan Lyon is back from injury for the forthcoming three-match Test series between Australia and Pakistan, Murphy may have to warm the bench, but he wants to be prepared for when the chance arises.
It’s one of those ones where you always want to make sure you’re prepared, but Nath has been so resilient that even when I traveled to England, I doubt that I had it in mind that I would have a chance to play. Although it was obviously very unfortunate to see him go down with an injury, it likely serves as further evidence of how crucial it is to have a team that is prepared to play. Being in a situation where, hopefully, nothing like that occurs again, but in the event that it does, I’m in a position to handle it, is incredibly important to me, Todd Murphy said.
“Looking ahead, I want to position myself to take advantage of any possibilities that may present themselves. There was something about the Ashes and India tours that I had never experienced before: intensity. It was wonderful to be a part of, and being exposed to that at a young age will put me up for success in the future. I’m hoping to build on that in a home summer, and if there’s a chance, I’m ready to go,” he said.
Australia and Pakistan are set to play their maiden Test match in Perth from December 14–18.
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