IND vs AUS: Murphy excited to play in front of possible record Test crowd in Ahmedabad

With the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Australian counterpart Anthony Albanese in attendance, nearly 110,000 are expected to watch the opening day’s play.

For the bespectacled spinner, the tour of India has been ‘great’ and by his own admission, it’s something he’s “going to look back on for a long time and be really proud of what’s come of it”.  | Photo Credit: GETTY IMAGES

It has been a ‘surreal’ feeling for Todd Murphy to have featured in three Tests for Australia in the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy and be part of a winning side in Indore.

For the bespectacled spinner, the tour of India has been ‘great’ and by his own admission, it’s something he’s “going to look back on for a long time and be really proud of what’s come of it”.

But then, even Murphy will have to wait longer to know which surface will be used for the series-deciding fourth Test, beginning at the Narendra Modi Stadium on Thursday. 

As the Australian team trained on Tuesday morning, it was in for a surprise as two strips were covered - in an indication that a decision on the ‘right track’ is yet to be made.

But the spinner, who made his debut in the opening game of the series in Nagpur and has picked up 11 wickets so far, does not want to think too much about the surface. Rather, he is looking forward to playing in front of a possible record crowd at the world’s largest cricket stadium. 

With the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Australian counterpart Anthony Albanese in attendance, nearly 110,000 are expected to watch the opening day’s play.

That has got the rookie spinner excited.

“I think everyone looks forward to those opportunities where you can play in front of those sorts of crowds. It’ll be a great atmosphere. Something a bit different,” Murphy told reporters ahead of Tuesday’s training session.

“I haven’t played in front of heaps of big crowds back home, so I’ve sort of come over here with just the mindset of enjoying it and embracing what comes with India and playing with a smile on my face...”

When he flew down to India early last month, Murphy did not know what opportunities he would get at the start of the tour, so he was just ‘trying to enjoy it’.

Though India dominated in Nagpur and New Delhi in the first two Tests, Murphy and Australian spinners fought back in Indore with a nine-wicket win. 

Having a played a hand in the fightback, Murphy hopes to make more memories in the final Test as his team looks to level the series and deny India a chance to qualify for the World Test Championship final.