Todd Murphy and Matthew Kuhnemann, two rookie Australian spinners, made the difference in Australia’s triumph at the third Test match in Indore. Todd Murphy took out Virat Kohli in the first innings, while Kuhnemann also picked up a five-wicket haul. Murphy managed to restrict the Indian batsmen’ scoring options despite without taking a wicket in the second innings.
But, Kuhnemann quickly became the focus of Indian bats who pounced on him. Both spinners, said to Indian skipper Rohit Sharma, are essential for Australia. In the pre-match conference, he said, “Both have been good. Murphy in the first game got 7 wickets and Kuhnemann got a fifer in the last test match. So they have got potential to exploit these conditions and obviously when you have an attacking spinner like Lyon you need someone from the other end to compliment as well.”
“These guys have shown that they can handle that pressure. Having come out of two losses it is not easy to come out and get the job done especially on the back of two losses. But both the spinners have actually shown that they have got that temperament to handle that pressure in the middle. When the pitches are that helpful for spinners your team is expecting a lot out of you,” said Rohit Sharma.
“Every ball you bowl you are desperate to take a wicket but I think both of them were quite calm. They pitched it in the right areas, make the batsman guess and then make a mistake. It was that kind of thought process for them and it really worked for them having said that they have the potential to play at the highest level. For us, it’s just about understanding what they have done in the last two games and how can we come out on top of them,” Rohit Sharma continued.
Indian spinners, on the other hand, displayed their energetic side while both Australian spinners maintained their composure. Every time the ball hit the pad of the Aussie batsman, Ravindra Jadeja appealed. The error they committed during the third Test match was called out by Rohit Sharma. “Especially Jadeja every ball he thinks is out so I understand they are quite animated they just want to it’s just the passion of the game. That is where my role comes in to make them calm and relaxed at least let the ball hit the stump or near it. The ball was not even hitting the stump the pitching was outside as well. That was a silly mistake that we made and we will try to correct it.” Indian batters will be extra careful against these two spinners. If they are able to tackle the duo of inexperienced spinners, India will certainly have an edge in the final Test match.