It was Wednesday morning when Moama Cricket Club president Kirk Teasdale received a cryptic text message that would let him know about the biggest news in the history of his club.
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The message was short and to the point. It contained one word, one symbol and an emoji — Murphy, the equals sign and the Indian flag.
Moama’s own Todd Murphy was heading to India.
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The spin bowler was named in Australia’s 18-man Test squad set to tour the subcontinent in February and March, announced on Wednesday, becoming the first player from Moama and Echuca to be named in the national team squad.
Murphy’s uncle, Kevin Drennan, sent Teasdale the text message, and the club president said he was thrilled to hear the news.
“Kevin sent me a text that said ‘Todd Murphy equals the Indian flag’ and I looked at it and thought, ‘brilliant’,” Teasdale said.
“For us it is huge. The last few years we had an inkling (it would happen).
“Everyone thinks he is the next Nathan Lyon with the way he bowls, his control, his temperament and everything else. We are all excited.
“It is great for the family, it is good for everyone.”
Murphy started his cricketing journey with Moama, following in the footsteps of his father, Jamie, a top-notch cricketer himself.
A club legend at Victorian Premier Cricket outfit St Kilda, Jamie was later the captain and coach at Moama, with Murphy growing up around the club.
Teasdale played alongside Murphy’s old man and said he could remember Todd running around as a youngster.
“As a kid, he was a little s***, actually. Toddy was always a little menace,” Teasdale said, laughing.
“You would always check when you were going out to bat if you had all your gear, because Todd would float around and try everyone’s gear on and think he was Don Bradman.
“He was always in and around and under our knees. He was always up and about, he was a great kid.”
Teasdale said it was clear Murphy was a talented cricketer from a young age, but at least initially, it was his skills with the bat that were more prominent.
Murphy even blasted his way to a score of 135, an impressive feat for a teenager at A-grade level
“He was always a gun bat. He went through all the representative pathways as a batter,” Teasdale said.
“His ton against Rochester was brilliant. We were in a bit of trouble when Toddy came out to bat, and just his hand-eye co-ordination stood out. He would see the ball a lot earlier than everyone else.
“We always thought he was going to play some good cricket, he always had that X-factor as a kid.”
Murphy won Moama’s President’s Trophy, given to the most promising up-and-comer, in 2014-15, going on to win the club’s best-and-fairest prize the following season.
With the ball in hand, Teasdale said Murphy actually started off as a medium pace bowler, not a spinner.
“Medium pace is probably a bit generous, he was a bit slower than medium,” Teasdale said jokingly.
“That is where it all started. He would bowl medium pace and we had enough guys that already did that.
“In the nets he had a crack at bowling some offies. He did it off his own bat, realistically. It was probably late one night when he was buggered after training and thought I’ll give offies a go.
“A couple of months later he was our number one spinner in A-grade and it took off from there.”
After starring for Moama, Murphy moved to Sandhurst in Bendigo District Cricket Association and then to Melbourne to play Victorian Premier Cricket for St Kilda.
“Fast forward 12 months and he was at St Kilda, that is how quick the progression was,” Teasdale said.
Murphy then played for Vic Country under-17s and under-19s, before playing for Australia at the under-19 World Cup in 2020.
Following that, Murphy made his first class debut for the Victorian Bushrangers in 2021, also playing for Sydney Thunder in the Big Bash League later that same year.
In 2022 Murphy solidified his spot in the Bushrangers’ line-up and again played for the Sixers, with his stellar efforts now earning him a call-up to the Test squad.
“It has been really cool to watch (his rise), it is great. Toddy has always done the hard yards, put in the work and effort and everything else,” Teasdale said.
“He is just getting recognition for the hard work that he has put in.”
Teasdale said Moama Cricket Club prided itself on its junior program and he hoped Murphy’s success could go on to inspire the next generation of young local cricketers.
“It gives them hope,” he said.
“They all love their cricket and, to have Todd Murphy from Moama in the Australian Test squad, it gives them hope that someone from a little town like us can get to that level.
“I have four boys who are cricket mad. I remember in the first Big Bash game Todd played he took a wicket and my boys all stood up and were cheering him on.
“It is exciting for us and all the kids coming through.”
With a Test debut on the cards, Teasdale said all eyes would be glued to the screens should Murphy get a chance to play.
“Geez, I might even take a day off work,” he said.
“Every man, kid and their dog will be glued to the screen, that is just a given.”
Having been with Murphy as he has risen through the ranks, Teasdale said he had seen his progression first-hand.
“One thing that stood out, for me, with Todd when he came back from having 12 months of coaching was the fizz on the ball,” he said.
“He can bowl offies and they will make a noise in the air purely because of the rotation. The revs that he can put on the ball are a lot quicker than everyone else and you can hear it fizzing.”
Teasdale has stood at the crease to face Murphy before and said he could lay claim to a proud achievement.
“I’ve faced him hundreds of times and, I think Toddy would agree, I don’t think he has ever gotten me out,” he said.
Although, he admitted that things might play out a little differently nowadays.
“Now he has that many variations, I wouldn’t want to face him. He would probably get me out three balls in a row,” Teasdale said.