Bowling in SL gave me confidence: Murphy

Talking wickets in India and against Indian batters is a huge challenge for a spinner, especially those from abroad. However, Australia’s Todd Murphy made the most of the opportunity, making a dream debut with a maiden five-wicket haul in the first Test against India at the Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium here on Friday. Bowling a consistent line and length and at a right pace, Murphy claimed 5/82 in India’s first innings, becoming the 17th Australian bowler and sixth spinner to claim a fifer on debut. Murphy’s brilliant bowling helped Australia restrict India to 321/7 in their first innings at stumps on Day 2. The hosts though have a lead of 144 runs and will be pressing to extend it further on Saturday. The off-spinner said it was a great experience to claim five wickets on debut and he had never hoped of such a thing when he got a surprise call for the India tour. “Yeah, it’s been a pretty special couple of days and I supposed to top it off today with a fifer and they would probably yeah, more than I could ever hope for. And yeah, it’s gonna be something that I’ll look back on the rest of my life and be really proud of,” Murphy said at the post-play press conference at the VCA Stadium, here on Friday. Murphy said playing in Sri Lanka with Australia A team last year gave him the confidence, which has resulted in him becoming a Test bowler. The 22-year old was getting ready to play club cricket in Darwin nice months back, unable to make his stateside. He admitted it has been a quick journey for him. “Probably one of the biggest things for me was getting to go to Sri Lanka and being on that ‘A’ tour and had a little bit of success over there. I think that probably gave me the confidence that I needed going back to Australia that I was good enough to keep mixing it with first class cricketers. So, you know, I think that trip away with, yeah being around some of the guys that have played Test crick