India v Australia: Follow all the action from the first Test in Nagpur

Murphy, is going to make his Test debut after one of the more remarkable rises from obscurity in Australian bowling history.

The 22-year-old will be presented his baggy green after just five games for Victoria.

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Warner is understood to be considering batting right handed to counter India’s pitch doctoring designed to foil Australia’s long list of left handed batsmen.

He has been practicing right-handed at times in the nets and told teammates he would do the same but it remains to be seen if he is bold enough to do it in a Test.

There is a patch outside the left-hander’s off stump that appears to have been doctored to create more turn.

Australia’s top order is dominated by left handers while India’s has none,

Warner batted an entire season in junior cricket right handed and sustained the same performances across the season.

Joe Root batted left handed for two deliveries in a Test against Pakistan at Rawalpindi in December to counter the spin.

Sunil Gavaskar did similar in a Ranji Trophy semi-final in 1982 to counter the left arm spinner and swapped to a more orthodox approach for the right armrest.

Murphy’s rise from obscurity to the Test team has come at extraordinary speed.

Even Shane Warne had played seven before his debut in 1991.

An phenomenal talent who impresses all who see him, he made his Australia A debut after two games.

Murphy had a long meeting with coaches and Nathan Lyon on the eve of the match, New Zealand legend and spin bowling coach Daniel Vettori is on hand to guide him in his preparation.

Vettori made his debut after just two first class games.

Both players began life as medium pacers. Vettori was convinced to give up seam bowling by his college head master and was just 18 when the new skill gave him entrée to the national team.

Murphy was bowling medium pace at a rep trial in Shepparton when a chance encounter with former Victorian spinner Craig Howard changed the course of his life.

Howard, who was there to watch his son and had no involvement with the squad, saw the aspiring batsman sending down some off spin.

Murphy was bowling slow because he’d grown tired of his stock medium pace deliveries.

Howard mentioned to the coaches that he thought the teen was the best off-spinner they had and changed the course of his life.

Murphy moved to Bendigo to play for Sandhurst where he was coached by Howard who lives in the Victorian city.

Australia’s decision to go with two off-spinners is extraordinary but Ashton Agar has struggled with his rhythm since arriving in India.

The last time an Australian side played two off-spinners was in 1988 when Peter Taylor and Tim May teamed up across the border from India in Karachi.

INDIAN TOUR CRYSTAL BALL: WHO WINS, WHO STARS, WHO TO FEAR?

Australia are attempting to win their first series in India in almost 20 years and while Pat Cummins and his men might be the current world No.1 rated Test team, there is no more daunting task in cricket than trying to win on Indian soil.

News Corp’s leading cricket writers take a look at the upcoming series with some bold and fearless predictions about what Australia simply must do if they’re to create history over the next month and become the first Aussie team to win a series in India since 2004.

BEN HORNE

Who wins the series:

India 2-1. These teams are evenly matched but the conditions are extreme – and made even more extreme by allegations of Indian pitch doctoring.

Star of the series:

Steve Smith. Appears in golden form and usually when Smith is in that kind of mood it transcends formats and conditions. One of the best batsmen against spin in the world.

The selection gamble Australia must make:

Mitchell Starc and Cameron Green to come straight back for the second Test. Australia needs its big guns and the pairing changes the entire complexion of the Aussie line-up.

The Indian player Australia should fear most:

Ravindra Jadeja. Freak of a player who dominated the 2017 series and with bat and ball could prove the point of difference in this series.

What will be the biggest challenge for Pat Cummins this tour?

Getting through the physical and mental workload of playing every Test with little fast bowling support. Australia can’t afford to burn Cummins’ out before the Ashes.

ROBERT CRADDOCK

Who wins the series:

India 2-1. Australia are off balance with three key injuries. I sense they will improve in whatever they do in the first Test but India are just so hard at home.

Star of the series:

Ravi Jadeja may be short on recent form but his darting spin is so difficult to play. If Scott Boland gets a start he will surprise people.

The selection gamble Australia must make:

Alex Carey to No 6 and play five bowlers while Cam Green is out. It is a big gamble but an essential one. C’mon Australia. Be bold.

The Indian player Australia should fear most:

Spinner Axar Patel has a Test bowling average over 11 runs per wicket for his short career. Not a man to be underestimated.

What will be the biggest challenge for Pat Cummins this tour?

Staying cool and calm. It’s the only way Australia can beat India. Once the Indians get fired up they take the crowd with them it all becomes too much.

PETER LALOR

Who wins the series:

History says India will win but I’ve got a nagging feeling the Australians can almost do it. Almost. India 2-1. Hope I’m wrong.

Star of the series:

Virat Kohli or Steve Smith. Both former captains. Both on the rise again. Runs are hard and valuable because of that. Wickets will be easier and Axar Patel will take lots.

The selection gamble Australia must make:

Todd Murphy. Todd Murphy. And Todd Murphy.

The Indian player Australia should fear most:

Axar Patel has been bowling brilliantly. He was magnificent against England.

What will be the biggest challenge for Pat Cummins this tour?

Pat Cummins’ biggest challenge will be getting through the first Test without Cam Green. If he gets them through unscathed look out.

Senior Sports Writer

Peter Lalor is The Australian’s chief cricket writer and has been a reporter for over 30 years. An award winning journalist and author he has covered Test cricket in all parts of the world for the newspaper. He h… Read more

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