Australia’s tour management might have got one selection wrong in leaving out man-in-form Travis Head from the playing XI of the four-Test opener against India here at the VCA ground in Jamtha. But it certainly called the right shots in capping young off-spinner Todd Murphy to partner senior bowler Nathan Lyon.

The Test debutant picked up a fifer as India chased the visitors’ extremely modest first innings total of 177 on a challenging track on Day Two and took a substantial lead which might prove crucial. In his first three spells the bespectacled Victorian, just 22, even out-bowled Lyon who came into his 116th Test with a staggering tally of 460 wickets. Bowling mostly from round the wicket, Murphy dismissed night-watchman R Ashwin, former captain Virat Kohli, seasoned batter Cheteshwar Pujara and debutant Kona Srikar Bharat to complete the coveted five-wicket haul in his debut bowling stint.