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Crawley Eyes Sydney Pressure on Aussie Spinner Murphy in Ashes Finale

Zak Crawley emphasizes England's desire to finish the Ashes series strongly in Sydney, despite having already lost the urn. He highlights the team's intent to pressure Australian spinner Todd Murphy, who is set for a home debut. England's aggressive batting philosophy, evident in Melbourne, will remain central to their approach. A positive result in Sydney would boost team morale and reflect their resilience after a challenging series.

Key Points: Crawley on England's Sydney Test Plan vs. Murphy | Ashes

  • England target series end on a high
  • Focus on pressuring debutant spinner Todd Murphy
  • Aggressive batting approach to continue
  • Sydney Test chance to build confidence
3 min read

"Envisage us trying to put some pressure...": Crawley on Aussie spinner Todd Murphy featuring in Sydney Test

Zak Crawley says England will target spinner Todd Murphy in the Sydney Test, aiming to end the Ashes with a win and build momentum.

"I can envisage us trying to put some pressure on him, like we would all their bowlers. – Zak Crawley"

Sydney, January 2

England batter Zak Crawley hopes to end the Australian Ashes tour with two wins, having lost the prestigious urn already. He said it would say a lot about their team if they manage to perform well in the final Test and they would be trying to create pressure on the opposition.

After breaking their winless streak in Australia, which lasted 18 Test matches, during the Boxing Day Test at Melbourne, England will be aiming to carry some positive memories when they take a flight back home after the New Year's Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground.

The team's wait for its first series win on Aussie soil has continued since the 2010/11 season

The win at Melbourne has instilled plenty of confidence in the group, and Crawley, England's top run-getter in this series, highlighted how important it is for them to end the series on a high after facing so much challenge in the first three Test matches, where they lost crucial moments several times and as a result, fumbled the Ashes urn.

"I think there is a big difference just internally in the group," Crawley said when asked the difference between losing 4-1 or 3-2," he said, according to ICC.

"It just shows a lot about our group and how united we are if we can get a win. It might not go our way, but if we can put up a good performance this week, that says a lot about the group," he added.

Crawley is so far the third-highest run-getter with 256 runs in four Tests at an average of 32.00 and a strike rate of over 64, with two fifties in eight innings and a best score of 85.

The lanky opener gave indications that spinner Todd Murphy, playing his first-ever home Ashes Test in the absence of an injured Nathan Lyon, would be put under pressure if he is a part of the team sheet at Sydney. So far, Murphy has played two Tests against England, in UK, picking seven wickets at an average of over 25.

"Whoever plays, I think that's the mantra of our team, is to try and put pressure on people," Crawley said.

"Todd's a very good bowler, but I can envisage us trying to put some pressure on him, like we would all their bowlers," he added.

Murphy is likely to make his home soil Test debut, having previously featured during tours to England, India and Sri Lanka, with England having included a frontline spinner option as well, Shoaib Bashir for the series finale.

England's aggressive batting was a defining feature of their approach to the fourth innings chase at Melbourne, and Crawley's comments suggest that mindset will remain unchanged as they look to end the Ashes campaign on a positive note.

England XII: Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Jacob Bethell, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (c), Jamie Smith (wk), Will Jacks, Matthew Potts, Brydon Carse, Josh Tongue, Shoaib Bashir.

- ANI

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Reader Comments

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Priya S
As an Indian cricket fan, watching this Ashes has been entertaining! Crawley is right about the importance of ending well. We saw how momentum matters in our series against Australia too. Murphy is a promising spinner, but facing that aggressive batting on debut at the SCG will be a huge test for him.
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Aman W
Respectfully, I think England are talking a bit too much. They've already lost the urn. Just play good cricket instead of making statements about pressuring a young spinner. Murphy did well in India, he can handle it. Focus on your own batting, Crawley, your average is just 32.
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Sarah B
The mental aspect is so crucial in Test cricket. Crawley highlighting the difference between 3-2 and 4-1 shows they're playing for pride and team culture now. That's what separates good teams from great ones. Hope it's a competitive match!
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Vikram M
Interesting to see Shoaib Bashir in the squad! Another young spinner in the mix. The SCG traditionally offers turn. If I were Australia, I'd play Murphy and really attack England's batters. They seem determined to go after spin, which could be their downfall if they aren't careful. 🤔
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Karthik V
The spirit is good, but the series is gone yaar. Still, a win in Sydney would be a positive for Stokes' leadership. For us fans, more exciting cricket is always welcome! Hope both teams go for the win and not a dull draw.

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