Australia debutant Todd Murphy on Friday said he tried to embrace the pressure of bowling against India’s batting titans after his stunning haul on day two of the opening Test.
The 22-year-old became the youngest Australian spinner to get five wickets in their first Test, dispatching star batsman Virat Kohli for just 12.
Murphy had played just seven first-class matches before his first cap but has been the tourists’ standout as they struggle to contain India’s lead.
“I think there’s definitely nerves but there’s also excitement,” he told reporters after stumps.
“Try to embrace it and just enjoy it and bowl to these sort of guys, some of the best players in the world,” Murphy said.
“I’ve tried to go out there and try to really enjoy it and just compete as hard as I can... I didn’t get too overawed by it and just tried to embrace it.”
Starting off as medium pace bowler, the Victoria-born Murphy soon found his calling with off-spin.
“My medium pace wasn’t really any good anyway, so it sort of just came a time where I was tinkering in the nets with off-spin,” the bespectacled bowler said.
“So just went from there and kept working at it and it’s been the best thing I’ve ever done. So thankful I have.”
He added: “To top it off with a five-wicket haul on debut is more than I could ever hope for, and it is going to be something that I’ll look back on for the rest of my life.”
His family was in attendance but he shrugged off a comparison to late Australian legend Shane Warne from his proud father.
“I shook my head when I saw that, I’m not sure I’m anything similar to Warnie,” he said.
“To have them here –- it was a pretty hectic couple of days for them to try to get across here, but they’ve been a part of the journey the whole way for me.”
India were 321-7 at stumps on Friday, extending their lead to 144 and thoroughly in command on a turning pitch in Nagpur despite Murphy’s heroics.
