‘Not recently’: SCG pitch exposes the dilemma facing spin bowling in Australia as Todd Murphy eyes home Test debut

Todd Murphy concedes he doesn’t have the best eyesight going around, but he doesn’t need perfect vision to know that the SCG wicket is looking particularly green just three days out from the fifth Test, as the future of spin bowling in Australia again comes under the spotlight. Murphy, 25, is in the mix to play his first Test on home soil having played seven matches in the baggy green overseas. But there are no guarantees he’ll play in Sydney which has traditionally suited the spinners, with Murphy missing out on the XI in Melbourne in a match that concluded within two days. The SCG pitch is a violent shade of green ahead of the start of the fifth Ashes Test on Sunday which could see Australia go with another all-out pace attack. “I’ve only seen it from afar, and my eyes aren’t obviously amazing so it’s hard to pick out exactly what it’ll be,” Murphy said at the ground on Thursday. “But I suppose we’re three days out and there’s a bit of grass on it at the moment. I have no idea (what it will be like) as I haven’t looked at it closely yet.” Murphy knows the ground well given he plays for the Sydney Sixers who call the SCG home, while he also featured in a Sheffield Shield match for Victoria back in November where pace dominated. The bespectacled off-spinner sent down 12 overs in that match and is acutely aware the venue which traditionally favoured tweakers now suits seam. “Maybe not recently, but I definitely think it 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 matches, and I don’t think it’s ever done anything extraordinary out there. “I don’t think recently that it’s been massive spin out here, but it’s still been a big part. “Shield cricket over the last couple of years – which is what I’ve had the main experience in – has evolved a bit to be more seam-friendly as well. “I think that comes from the importance of results in four-day cricket, and I don’t think spin breaks 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. “I still think that if you look across all games, spin still plays a massive part in games so there’s always a role for you to play. “It might not be on day four where you’re bowling 30 overs of spin to bowl your team to victory, but it still feels like you’ve always got a part to play in the game.” Spin has played a minor role in an Ashes series that has been played at breakneck speed where the quicks have taken advantage of poor techniques and wild shot selections. Only nine wickets have been taken by the spinners, with Australian great Nathan Lyon not selected in Brisbane and going down with a hamstring injury in Adelaide where he played a more significant role. The green decks and the bouncy conditions have led to fears that there may not be a need for spinners in Australia going forward, but Murphy – who could be the team’s main option for the next decade – isn’t worried. He says the days of ripping through teams in the fourth innings by bowling into the rough may be numbered and that he’s had to adapt with new tactics to play a role in the side. “I don’t think going into the series that there was ever a plan or an idea that spin wouldn’t play a role,” he replied when asked about the role of spinners this series. “I think it’s just been how it’s eventuated. I still think there’s definitely a role to play for spin, and I think it will evolve from year to year, and next year it could be different. “I still think it (spin) is important.”