Australia is contemplating one of its biggest selection gambles in decades by promoting young off spinner Todd Murphy for Thursday\u2019s first Test.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
It is understood the nightmare state of the Nagpur pitch has Australia looking to increase its spin stocks and Murphy has been placed on alert that he is very much in the mix to play in the first Test against India at Nagpur.<\/p>\n
Murphy, who only started bowling off-spin six years ago, has won plaudits around Australia in his brief first class career which features 29 wickets at 25 from seven matches.<\/p>\n
The 22-year-old toured Sri Lanka in last year\u2019s Australia A squad and took 4-52 against Sri Lanka in Hambantota.<\/p>\n
Australia has been impressed by his skill set and temperament on tour and while it is highly unusual to have two frontline off-spinners in the one Test side these are highly unusual circumstances.<\/p>\n
India have doctored the pitch to produce an unusual deck that features dry patches outside the left-handers off stumps.<\/p>\n
The last time Australia selected two off-spinners in a Test side was 35 years ago when Tim May and Peter Taylor shared duties in the 1988 tour of Pakistan.<\/p>\n
Murphy is being mentored by veteran Lyon and Australia feels he has the game to become Australia\u2019s next long term off-spinner.<\/p>\n
If Murphy gets in the team he could play instead of Ashton Agar or Scott Boland or Australia could play Alex Carey at No 6 and play an extra bowler.<\/p>\n
WHY AUSTRALIA MAY WANT TO AVOID PITCH BATTLE <\/b><\/p>\n
The International Cricket Council should launch an immediate investigation into India\u2019s disgraceful pitch doctoring<\/a> \u2013 but Pat Cummins must be careful of his next step.<\/p>\n In the colourful and occasionally sordid world of Test wicket preparation it\u2019s hard to recall a more obvious example of a doctored deck than this son of pitch in Nagpur.<\/p>\n Curators from all nations have been able to get away with producing pitches that suit the home side under the guise of \u201cwell, it’s the same for both sides.\u2019\u2019<\/p>\n But that\u2019s the problem with this deck. It\u2019s not. <\/p>\n Australia were likely to field six left-handers in their top eight where all of India\u2019s key batsmen are right handers.<\/p>\n Matt Renshaw was believed to be in front of Peter Handscomb in the battle for the No 6 spot but Handscomb\u2019s chances must now soar because he is right-hander who would be playing the non-corrupted\u2019\u2019 part of the pitch.<\/p>\n If Renshaw was omitted he would be the first batsmen in cricket history to lose his Test place because of a corrupt piece of curating.<\/p>\n The pitch scandal is the first major public relations challenge to captain Cummins on tour.<\/p>\n The Australians could be excused for being furious and are within their rights to scream the house down in protest.<\/p>\n But India is a tricky tour. Sometimes you are best to let the outside world do their shouting for you.<\/p>\n As experienced journalist Bharat Sundaresan said recently the skill to beating India in India is going quietly and not riling the home side or their fans.<\/p>\n It is easier said than done. Australia has every right to blow up publicly over this deck but sometimes in India it doesn\u2019t matter who is right or wrong \u2013 the war inside your own head is the one you must win.<\/p>\n Originally published as Australia v India Test: Pitch tampering plays in mind of Aussie selectors<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n