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Australia’s new spin sensation earns comparisons to the great Shane Warne after his memorable debut against India in Nagpur.
- Todd Murphy was picked for Australia after just seven first-class matches
- He rewarded the selectors’ faith with a five-wicket haul on his India debut.
- Now they compare it with Warne after producing a better debut
Todd Murphy could only laugh and shake his head when his father compared him to Shane Warne, but Australia’s new cricket sensation can boast better figures than the legendary spin king on his Test debut.
A year ago, Murphy was out of Victoria’s first-class team. On Friday, the 22-year-old dismissed India’s superstar Virat Kohli en route to a five-wicket haul during the first Test in Nagpur.
It’s been a rapid rise for Murphy, who credits an Australia A tour to Sri Lanka in June with helping him prepare to bowl some of the world’s best batsmen.
Murphy, left, along with teammate Alex Carey celebrate the sacking of India’s Virat Kohli during the second day of the first India-Australia test cricket match in Nagpur.
Murphy is congratulated by his teammates after his five-wicket haul on debut to hold Australia into the match against India.
Murphy’s proud family were watching at the VCA Stadium after hastily leaving their base on the Victoria/New South Wales border to be in India in time for their debut test.
In an interview after Murphy received his green baggy on Thursday, father Jamie said his son had “a lot of Warnie’s traits.”
It was a statement from a proud father, drawing parallels with arguably the greatest bowler of all time, leaving his son a bit embarrassed.
A mid-level batsman, Jamie had played under the late great Warne in the 1991-92 cricket premiership at St Kilda.
Murphy proudly displays the ball to the crowd after completing his debut in five wickets, and is compared to the great Shane Warne by his father.
That grand final was just weeks after Warne had made an inauspicious start to his Test career, going 1-150 in his first innings for Australia as Indian stars Ravi Shastri and Sachin Tendulkar powered him on the SCG.
“I shook my head when I saw that (comparison), I’m not sure I’m similar to Warnie,” Murphy said.
“Having them here, it was a pretty hectic couple of days trying to cross here, but they’ve been part of the journey all the way for me.
“Being from the country of Victoria, many hours have been spent in the car that everyone has put in for me to get the opportunities that I have had.”
‘Sharing the week with them is something we will all remember forever.
“It’s really special to have them here and they’re all having a blast.”
Warney in action during his Test debut during the Third Test match between Australia and India played at the Sydney Cricket Ground on 3 January 1992
Warne acknowledges the crowd after winning the fifth Ashes Test cricket match against England in Sydney, Australia, Friday January 5, 2007
Murphy’s career began to take off when he was picked to play for Australia A alongside current and former Test players such as Marcus Harris, Matt Renshaw and Nic Maddinson.
“To be around some of the guys who had played Test Cricket, to watch everything and compete on the nets and bowl for the Sri Lankans,” Murphy said.
“I took a lot of confidence from that and reflected and went back, trusted myself a little bit more and thought ‘what I have may be good enough’ and I believe in that.”