With the series now moving to a venue known for its raucous atmosphere, there is unlikely to be any dampening of emotions from the home supporters, especially given the short three-day turnaround.
“They made a lot of noise but were all quite friendly,” he said. “From speaking to the boys, this is probably the most hostile ground you get in England. I’m quite looking forward to it if I do get the opportunity, having grown up watching Ashes cricket. It’s going to be different and I’m sure they won’t hold back, so just embrace it and try to have a good time…everyone’s under no illusions it’s going to come pretty hard.”
He is also prepared for England’s aggressive batting line-up to try to latch onto his inexperience. They had taken Lyon for four runs an over although had lost four wickets to stumpings against him in the process.
“Think they’ll probably come even harder at me,” Murphy said. “Obviously I haven’t played a hell of a lot of Test cricket, there’s a challenge that presents itself. They keep taking the game on and I think it’s about trying to navigate through that, come up with a few different ideas that can help and try to keep creating chances.
“Looking back on India, getting the opportunity to play Test cricket and being exposed to high-level contests only helps and think I took a lot of confidence from that experience. Trusting that if do get the opportunity, believe in myself that I can be good enough at this level.”
Since it became clear Lyon’s tour was over, the pair have chatted about the challenge ahead. Speaking after the fourth day at Lord’s, when he had hobbled out to bat, Lyon endorsed Murphy’s credentials.
“I sat with Todd in the last session there and spoke about spin bowling as we do,” Lyon said. “I have a lot of confidence in Todd. He is a great kid. He is willing to learn along the way. His stock ball is good enough in international cricket. We have seen that in India.
“It will be a different challenge with the England batters. If they do come at him, it provides Todd with a decent challenge. I have told him my phone is always on, it doesn’t matter if I am sitting in the changeroom with him or I am sitting at home watching it in bed.”
Unlike in India, where Murphy operated with Lyon throughout then also had Matt Kuhnemann in the attack for the latter three Tests, this time he will be the lone frontline spinner – a role he has only held twice in his first-class career. Since that tour he has worked on strength and conditioning after feeling the effects of the increased workload, which was the reason he pulled out of an early-season county stint with Durham.
“It’s going to be different outlook for me,” he said. “I had a really good chat with Nath, think it was day four or five of the last Test, and he just said trust what you’ve got, believe in it and don’t go away from it. Don’t expect yourself to do to much. My body’s feeling really good at the moment. I’m confident that the work I’ve put in post-India to get that right, hopefully can hold up.”
There had been plans for Murphy to make a short trip to Paris and back in order for him to obtain the necessary visa to play for Durham should an opportunity open up, but his flight was cancelled at the last moment when he was at the airport.
There was some consideration to him potentially getting a game while the Test series was in progress, although Lyon’s injury has now made that notion redundant, and whether he joins Durham for a late-season stint will now likely depend on his workload over the next month.
Andrew McGlashan is a deputy editor at ESPNcricinfo