Former Test spinner Bryce McGain expects Victorian hometown hero Todd Murphy to win a Boxing Day call-up in the absence of Nathan Lyon, who is expected to miss the showpiece event of the cricketing summer.
Lyon remained on crutches after arriving in Melbourne with teammates on Monday to seek specialist treatment. He was forced from the field on the final day of play in Adelaide on Sunday after clutching at his right hamstring while fielding at fine leg.
The 38-year-old off-spinner has yet to be officially ruled out of the Boxing Day Test, beginning on Friday at the MCG, but skipper Pat Cummins said it was unlikely he would play either in Melbourne or Sydney.
Ashes experience: Spinner Todd Murphy is a contender to replace the injured Nathan Lyon.Credit: Reuters
National selectors have several potential replacements to consider, or they could go with a four-man pace attack and turn to Travis Headโs part-time spin. All-rounder Beau Webster could also return and bowl off-spin, as he did in Shield cricket before turning to medium pace.
But McGain said the bespectacled Murphy, who has played all seven of his Tests in either India, England or Sri Lanka, is the favourite to claim the role.
โI think they will go to the player that played for Australia A [this year] and โฆ that has the ability to bowl at the MCG, and his experience there helps as well, the hometown hero as well, Toddy Murphy,โ McGain told SEN on Monday.
โI think it will be Murphy that will come in, but they can go any of those ways and I donโt think it will be a bad call. So, they could go [Matt] Kuhnemann and play him, that makes sense, or [Corey] Rocchiccioli, yeah, he is doing really well, 20 wickets at the WACA, turn and bounce โฆ and he bowled well in Victoria just recently as well.
โWe have options, we will be fine. They wonโt be the GOAT [Lyon] just yet, but they will be really good.โ
