Ashes 2023Josh Hazlewood lauds Todd Murphy ahead of Manchester Test match

By India Today Sports DeskAustralia pacer Josh Hazlewood has lauded spinner Todd Murphy for a tremendous start to his career. Murphy debuted against India in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2023 and picked 7 wickets on his debut. The spinner appeared in his first Ashes Test match at Headingley after the injury to Nathan Lyon. Lyon injured his calf while fielding at Lord’s and has likely played his last Ashes 2023 Test.

Hazlewood lauded the player and said that Murphy has been a brilliant understudy to Lyon, one of Australia’s greatest-ever spinners.

“Todd’s had a great start to his career particularly in the subcontinent against the best players of spin the world, India,” he said. “I know we are going to miss Gazza [Lyon] from time to time when we are in the field but think Todd as his understudy has done a great job so far and expect the same again,” Hazlewood said ahead of the Manchester Test match.

The matches in the Ashes 2023 have been fast moving and have given out three results out of three matches. Hazlewood said that Australia have not bowled a lot of overs that they are used to in a normal 5-day game. Hazlewood, however, did not play in the third Test match, due to injury concerns after bowling a bouncer barrage at Lord’s.

“We haven’t bowled a lot of overs in terms of what Test matches usually look like for us,” he said. “The way England play, it gets us in the field for a little less in terms of workload. I felt pretty good going into [Headingley]. It was probably the right call now I can sit back and look at the big picture. I was desperate to play, which is obvious. But now it makes sense,” the pacer said.

The pacer has battled injury since before the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2023. Hazlewood was not able to play in the World Test Championship Final 2023 as well. The pacer said that he was a little too eager to play in the summit clash but in hindsight, it was probably the right decision.

“I was probably a little bit underdone for that World Test Championship [final] and then got ready for the first game. I didn’t seem too rusty when I was out there in the middle. Once you get that big day of workload underneath you, you feel a lot better for the run,” Hazlewood concluded.