Australia won’t abandon Todd Murphy after one Test, determined to stick with playing a spinner for the rest of the Ashes instead of opting for an extra quick.
Murphy was only handed the ball for two overs as England chased down 251 in the at Headingley on Sunday, after taking 1-36 from 7.3 overs in the first innings.
That lack of involvement marked the least use of spin by Australia in an innings of 50 overs or more since Nathan Lyon was left out of the Perth Test against India in 2012.
Australia say part of that was conditions-based on a Headingley wicket that did not turn, as well as the fact England did not bat 60 overs in either innings.
But the reality is England have rarely batted any longer through the series, with the hosts’ innings lasting an average of 67.3 overs.
That had prompted the thought Australia could potentially leave Murphy out of one of the final two Tests, providing an easy answer for the Cameron Green and Mitch Marsh dilemma.
But coach Andrew McDonald said that was extremely unlikely to come at the expense of Murphy, with the 22-year-old stepping up for the injured Lyon.
“We like a spinner,” McDonald said.
“We like to have a balanced attack and it gives you options, you can take pace out of the game and you become one dimensional … without the ability to turn to a spinner.
“We’ll have to assess that, but as it sits at the moment we do like to have the spinner in the team.”
One change to the bowling attack is likely for Old Trafford, with Josh Hazlewood expected to return after being put on ice at Headingley.
Scott Boland would be the man most likely to drop out after he went wicketless in the loss, despite McDonald believing he had bowled well without luck.
McDonald also said Australia would closely examine the constant use of the short ball to England’s lower order during their chase, after the hosts bowled considerably fuller in Leeds.
“If it works you say that it’s right, and if it doesn’t then you’re probably on the opposite side,” McDonald said.
“It’s a combination, it’s always somewhere in the middle of that.
“Day one, Mark Wood had ball speed and the ball was shifting, the overheads were pretty thick and you tend to pitch the ball up a lot more in those conditions.
“And when the sun comes out and the ball’s not shifting as much, you’ve probably got less options on the fuller side.
“We critique ourselves pretty harshly so we’ll be looking into that no doubt.”
Wood sure he can go three straight
England speedster Mark Wood is confident he will be able to unleash his raw pace on Australia for both of the final two Ashes Tests, unfazed by concerns around his workload.
Wood made an immediate impact for England in his first Test in seven months, reaching speeds of up to 155km/h in his opening spell.
In doing so, he provided England with the air speed they so desperately missed in the first two Tests, taking 5-34 in the first innings of the win to reduce the hosts’ series deficit to 2-1.
But Wood is yet to prove he can be a consistent selection for England.
He has managed 29 Tests since his debut in 2015, and was held back from the second Test of this Ashes series with fitness concerns.
While there is a 10-day gap before the start of the fourth Test at Old Trafford, only three days separate that match and the series finale at The Oval.
Mark Wood. (Photo by Richard Heathcote/Getty Images)
Regardless, Wood was confident he could play in both matches.
“I did four in Australia last time and three of them were in a row,” Wood said.
“It’s a big ask, but one I’ve done before and I will lean on that experience to try to do it again,” he said.
“I will speak to the physio, but I imagine I will bowl once or twice, do a couple of gym sessions, maybe some running, but it won’t be too drastic. I have to let the body recover.
“This was my first game in a very, very long time, especially in Test cricket.
“I will let the body recover, get myself in a good space, let the wounds recover and get myself up for the next one.”
Wood labelled England’s three-wicket victory as one of the highlights of his career, after swinging the match with bat and ball.
After his first-innings five-wicket haul, Wood hit 24 runs off eight balls to shift the momentum of the match after lunch on day two.
He then came to the crease with 21 runs still required and three wickets in hand in the fourth innings, before hooking Pat Cummins for six and seeing England home.
“It fills me with great pride to say I can do well against Australia. It’s challenging because they are a top, top side,” Wood said.
“It’s one of the best feelings I’ve had. Look at facing Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc. One, it’s not easy. Two, it’s really intimidating.
“They’re bowling fast, they get good bounce and more often than not they come out on top.
“Luckily this time it’s the one-out-of-100 I’ve managed to get through.”
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