"He came here 50 times better than how Nathan Lyon came here on his first tour " - Ravichandran Ashwin on Todd Murphy
India's spin bowling veteran Ravichandran Ashwin has reserved high praise for Australian off-spinner Todd Murphy for his impressive performances in the recently concluded Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
Ashwin opined that Murphy came to India a lot more prepared compared to Nathan Lyon's first-ever tour of India. He pointed out how the youngster was able to bowl tidy spells from both over the wicket and around the wicket.
Here's what Ashwin said about Murphy in a video shared on his YouTube channel:
"Nathan Lyon did pick 20 wickets in the series. However, the pressure was built from the other spinners too. Todd Murphy had a sensational debut series. This was his first tour to India. I remember many spinners' first tour to India. Nathan Lyon came here first in 2012. He went to Sri Lanka before that. Murphy came here 50 times better than how Lyon came here on his first tour to India.
"I am not saying he is a better bowler in terms of quality, skill or performance. I am talking about his capacity and composure to be able to bowl around the stumps, over the stumps."
Murphy, who made his debut in the opening Test against India, shone with a seven-wicket haul in his maiden outing. He finished with 14 wickets from six innings at an average of 25.21.
"That's how he has built his 10-year career" - Ravichandran Ashwin decodes Nathan Lyon's bowling style
Ravichandran Ashwin further stated that Nathan Lyon has achieved a lot of success by exploiting a left-arm pacer's footmarks in Test cricket.
He noted that the seasoned spinner constantly bowls on the sixth stump, trying to pitch the ball on the footmarks. Ashwin mentioned that Todd Murphy, on the other hand, mixes it up well by attacking the stumps and by also bowling wide of the stumps.
Ashwin elaborated:
"From both around and over, he looked equally comfortable. He was able to attack the stumps even while bowling from around the wicket. While bowling from over the wicket, he was able to attack the stumps, and he also bowled wide of the stumps.
"Nathan Lyon's strongest feature is that he uses Mitchell Starc's footmarks really well. He bowls the sixth stump, and seventh stumps line really well. That has been his bread and butter. That's how he has built his 10-year career.
"Whereas Todd Murphy, being the current generation spinner that he is, attacks the stumps from over the stumps, and also bowls wide of the stumps. He is going around the wicket and attacking the stumps. He is also taking the oddball away. He is not only bowling the fast back-of-length delivery but also has an odd slower one. The flight is definitely catching batters by surprise. It's not that easy to go on the back foot and play him.
"So, a lot of credit to Todd Murphy. It might be his grooming, or the way the Australian team has backed him, or the way have told him things about the subcontinent. But for a first tour as an offspinner, and playing second fiddle to Nathan Lyon, he has definitely caught the imagination. Matthew Kuhnemann also bowled well. But since Todd Murphy belongs to my breed, I have a soft corner for him and wanted to tell you what stood out for me."
Runs galore here in Ahmedabad with the final Test resulting in a Draw!
A series to remember for both teams 👍👍
#TeamIndia | #INDvAUS https://t.co/f0auEbsMP4
Notably, Australia made a fantastic comeback after suffering embarrassing losses in the first two fixtures of the four-match series. The visitors completed a stunning nine-wicket win in the third Test and were able to draw the final game.