Australia v West Indies 2022/23

Watch: Graeme Swann amazed by similarity in action as Australia Test hopeful bowls West Indies batter through gate

by Wisden Staff November 25, 2022 - 10:03am 3 minute read

Watch: Former England off-spinner Graeme Swann was amazed by the similarity he spotted to himself in the action of Australian off-spinner Todd Murphy, who starred in a warm-up game against a West Indies XI ahead of next week’s Test series.

Murphy caught the eye by bowling Test wicketkeeper Joshua Da Silva through the gate with a beauty, the ball turning sharply between bat and pad to crash into the stumps.

West Indies begin their two-Test series on Wednesday, November 30, with two warm-up games ahead of the first Test. The second of those is being played at the Manuka Oval in Canberra against a Prime Minister’s XI. The home side made 322 in the first innings, with Marcus Harris and Matthew Renshaw making half-centuries at the top of the order.

In response, uncapped West Indian opener Tagenarine Chanderpaul, son of the legendary Shivnarine, was the only batter to make it to fifty, with the Prime Minister’s XI striking regularly. Murphy ended up figures of 3-27 in 22 overs, bowling with control and incision.

The highlight was undoubtedly his dismissal of Da Silva, locating significant turn to beat the keeper’s prod outside the off-stump on the inside-edge. When the clip was posted on social media, comparisons were instantly made to the action of Swann, who claimed over 400 international wickets for England.

Swann himself even recognised the resemblance. “Er… wow,” he tweeted. “This is awkward.”

Although Murphy only has six first-class appearances under his belt, an Australia Test call-up may soon be on the cards for the youngster who only turned 22 last week. The ongoing warm-up game is being treated like an Australia A fixture and Murphy has been preferred to both Mitchell Swepson and Jon Holland, spinner who have represented Australia and Australia A respectively in the past 12 months. Australia tour India in early 2023 and are likely to travel with at least two spinners. Ashton Agar – the other spinner in the Prime Minister’s XI – went wicketless in the first innings and conceded his runs 3.47 an over.