Murphy, Richardson called up for Boxing Day, Lyon set for surgery

Todd Murphy is in the mix to play in the fourth Ashes Test at the MCG after he was named as Australia's replacement for the injured Nathan Lyon in their 15-man squad but coach Andrew McDonald did not rule out playing four quicks at the MCG as the selectors also debate the make-up of the top seven with Steven Smith confirmed to return as captain.

Jhye Richardson is also in contention to play his first Test in four years, with Pat Cummins ruled out of the remainder of the series as he continues to manage his back injury. Mitchell Starc and Scott Boland are fit to play in Melbourne despite Boland copping a knock on the hip while batting in Adelaide. It appears unlikely that Richardson would leap-frog either Michael Neser or Brendan Doggett if Australia played a spinner but that could change if they opt for four quicks depending on how the surface develops over the next few days, with McDonald not ruling anything out on Tuesday.

Lyon, who turned 38 last month, tore his right hamstring while fielding on the final day of Australia's 82-run win at Adelaide Oval and Cricket Australia confirmed that he will be sidelined for "an extended period" after undergoing surgery on Tuesday morning, having seen a specialist in Melbourne on Monday. McDonald said that Lyon is going to face a "long" recovery.

Meanwhile, Australia's coach also said that the selectors face some difficult decisions around the batting order in Melbourne with Smith set to return at No.4 and putting a squeeze on the middle order. McDonald said he liked the Travis Head-Jake Weatherald combination at the top and was keen to maintain it. He also believed Usman Khawaja was back to his best in the middle-order and hinted that the 39-year-old could well keep his spot and potentially slide to No.5.

"I'm not willing to say Uz will be a lock but what he's done is he's performed really well, [122] runs in that game at late notice," McDonald said on Tuesday. "I felt as though he's back to that attacking sort of play.

"He's still a good player, and age shouldn't factor into any of our decision-making."

McDonald said that he would push for Carey to stay at No.6.

"Alex Carey at six, I like what he's doing there," McDonald said. "So my assumption is, and I'll have a little bit of a say in that, that he'll stay six."

What that means for Cameron Green and Josh Inglis is an unknown. Green started the series at No.6 and has moved to No.5 in his last three innings but after butchering two starts in Perth and Brisbane he endured a tough game with the bat in Adelaide. McDonald was careful with his words around the 26-year-old allrounder.

"The returns haven't been there, but we've also seen what capabilities and the upside that he has and he's an important part of what we're setting out to achieve in the short-term and the long-term," McDonald said. "He's a very good cricketer, and I'm sure that his next opportunity, he'll be able to show that whenever that may."

If the only spot for the allrounder was at No.7, that would open the possibility for a Beau Webster recall given he is clearly more comfortable in the No.7 role given his experience with Tasmania, albeit Green remains a key part of Australia's future.

Murphy, the 25-year-old offspinner, has been chosen as his replacement ahead of CA-contracted Matthew Kuhnemann, leading Shield offspinner Corey Rocchiccioli and four-Test veteran legspinner Mitchell Swepson.

Murphy has taken 22 wickets at 28.13 in his seven Tests to date - all of them away from home - and has taken six wickets at 25.33 in his three Sheffield Shield games at the MCG for Victoria.

If he plays in Melbourne it will be the first time Australia have selected a lone specialist spinner at home who isn't Lyon in 14 years.

Murphy replaced Lyon during the 2023 Ashes, playing at Headingley and The Oval as Australia's sole spinner. He was part of a three-man spin attack alongside Lyon and Kuhnemann in his most recent Test in Galle earlier this year, but was left out of the second Test at the same venue when Australia opted for some extra batting and part-time spin from Cooper Connolly, with Kuhnemann's left-arm orthodox preferred as the best tandem option with Lyon.

However, in home conditions Kuhnemann is not seen as Lyon's clear understudy with left-arm orthodox traditionally having little impact in Australia. Murphy has bowled well this year after a difficult Shield season last season due to a shoulder issue.

He has 10 wickets at 23.70, striking at 55.80, but has not bowled a lot due to the dominance of Victoria's seamers. He was selected ahead of Rocchiccioli for the Australia A game in the recent game against England Lions in Brisbane where he took three wickets.

Rocchiccioli, 28, can count himself unlucky having been the leading spinner in Shield cricket in recent years with his extra height and bounce proving a handful for Shield batters on his home ground at the WACA. He has 20 wickets at 28.20 so far this summer, striking at 53.30 after taking 38 at 27.71 last season.

He has played two games at the MCG including for Australia A against India A last year and against Victoria last month, taking eight wickets at 23.50. Rocchiccioli only took three in the recent game against Victoria, with the home side's spin-bowling allrounder Matt Short taking a match-winning 4 for 57 in the third innings while Murphy was away on Australia A duty.

"It's always pretty robust around when you've got three, three potential candidates, or even four," McDonald said. "Todd's been an important part of key overseas series. He played in the last ashes back in 2023, and we feel as though Todd's back to to his best.

"I spoke to Todd this morning, really excited for him to be back around the group. We've got some decisions make. I just had a look at the wicket then. Do we play spinner? Don't we play spinner? We'll work through that. But it was an interesting conversation with the spin depth we do have, which is full recognition to those also that were discussed."

MCG curator Matt Page said spin would play a role in the Test as it did in the Shield game last month and when Lyon and Travis Head took key wickets on the final day in the win over India.

"We had a great Shield game here," Page said. "We obviously had some really challenging weather leading to that. I think the pitch sat under covers for three days. It was really cool, which is not ideal for pitch prep. But the pitch did everything that we wanted it to. I think we had two fast bowlers get five-fors, a couple of guys got hundreds, and Matt Short got four in the [third] innings.

"So for us, it's about trying to give everyone a chance in the game at certain points. The Shield pitch has done that. I guess that gives us good confidence, leading into this."

Australia squad: Steven Smith (capt), Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Brendan Doggett, Cameron Green, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Todd Murphy, Michael Neser, Jhye Richardson, Mitchell Starc, Jake Weatherald, Beau Webster.