Moeen's bold request paints fresh Ashes spin contrast

On the face of it, Moeen Ali's successful petition for a promotion up the batting order could be viewed as simply another spontaneous tactical ploy that 'Bazball' admirers have come to cherish.

As with reverse-ramping the first ball of the day, or declaring when your best batter is on a tear, or putting in a tailender to slog before stumps, sending your frontline spinner out to bat five spots higher than where he started the series in his side's biggest moment was another example of England's preference for the wacky over the conventional.

Yet the story behind Moeen's elevation, when put in contrast to how his opposite number Todd Murphy was used on Sunday at Headingley, illustrates how the spin-bowling dynamic between the Ashes rivals has shifted in the absence of Nathan Lyon.

Of course, Moeen's very involvement in this series is another triumph of gut feel and vibes winning out over strategic planning.

Having been asked via a one-word text message by Ben Stokes ("Ashes?") if he fancied coming out of retirement less than a fortnight out from the first Test, the off-spinner then ripped the skin off his right index finger so badly that he was forced to miss the ensuing match.

It could hardly have been a surprise given he had barely sighted a red ball during his 18-month absence from first-class cricket, having seemingly been given no indication he was viewed as the second-best Test spinner in the country behind Jack Leach.

His red-raw callous sufficiently healed to allow him to return at Headingley, Moeen claimed the wickets of Australia's two leading batters of recent times – Steve Smith and Marnus Labuschagne – in successive overs during a spell in which he bowled unchanged for 17 overs and conceded only twice that number of runs.

Buoyed by his most important contribution to the series, the left-hander who was at that point averaging 19.33 with the bat for the series then suggested to coach Brendon McCullum he come in at the fall of the first wicket on day four in their fourth-innings pursuit of 251.

"He came to 'Baz' (McCullum) last night and said, 'I want to go at three, I want to take the Aussies on in this run chase', basically (saying) 'Let me out there'," said Stokes, whose granting of Moeen's request meant Jonny Bairstow's move to No.5 designed to get him "into the game quicker" had lasted a single innings.

"And when we thought about it, we actually thought that (Moeen) coming in at three, he was able to impact the game more than he would be at number seven.

"I just loved the fact that Mo is willing to put himself in those situations, that he wants to get out there and help the team in a positive way.

"When I took the (captaincy) role on, I asked for 10 other selfless cricketers, and that little moment of Mo going to Baz and saying, 'I want the opportunity' is everything that we're about as a team."

Given Moeen contributed just five before having his leg-stump flattened by Mitchell Starc, while the demoted Bairstow added the same amount before he too was bowled by Starc, few are hailing the move as an act of tactical genius.

The main pay-off was instead the delayed arrival of Harry Brook, who entered proceedings in the 20th over (rather than the third, as had been the case in England's first innings when he batted three) and along with some gutsy tailenders ensured England claimed a tense three-wicket win to set the series ledger at 1-2.

What the episode did illustrate was that England, for the first time in a decade, whether justified or not, are in the guts of an Ashes series with a spinner who is more certain of his standing than Australia's.

Had he been playing, Lyon would have undoubtedly bowled more than the two overs Murphy was granted in England's run chase. Australia might well believe their most dependable bowler could have also swung the Test their way had he not torn his calf at Lord's last week.

As it was, Murphy sent down one-off overs either side of lunch, twice being picked off for boundaries through the off-side from the immensely talented Brook.

"Mainly just conditions based," was how captain Pat Cummins explained his reluctance to turn to the 22-year-old, who created three first-innings chances against a rampant Stokes, including his eventual dismissal.

"Didn't quite spin as much as we thought it would and (the team) probably didn't bowl as many overs as we thought we would as well.

"We bowled under 60 both innings. I would have liked to get Toddy into the game a bit more.

"But I'm sure next week in Manchester will be a bit more spin friendly."

Not since the 2013 Ashes, when Graeme Swann finished as the leading wicket-taker for the series, has it been the case that England might conceivably claim an advantage over their Ashes opponents on the spin front.

Since that 2013 campaign in the UK, Lyon has had an increasingly influential effect on subsequent Ashes series in both countries, prospering from faith put in him by Australian cricket leaders that allowed him to play 100 consecutive Tests.

In the years after Swann's retirement during the 2013-14 Ashes, the five frontline spinners England have used in Ashes Tests have taken 49 wickets at 51.75 compared to Lyon's 91 at 28.78 against England over the same period.

Now Murphy, whose action has been likened by some to Swann's, has the chance to go toe-to-toe for the rest of the series with Moeen, who has the benefit of having played 61 more Tests than his rival spinner.

But while Murphy has just the one wicket to show for his Ashes debut, the fact it was England's talisman Stokes has already had a lifting effect.

"That's cricket, that's off-spin bowling, you're going to get hit for a few sixes," Murphy, who blew away teammates with his composure on his maiden Test tour in India earlier this year, told cricket.com.au on Saturday.

"As long as you can keep bouncing back and trying to keep putting the ball in the right spots to create chances, everyone's happy with that."

2023 Qantas Ashes Tour of the UK

First Test: Australia won by two wickets

Second Test: Australia won by 43 runs

Third Test: England won by three wickets

Fourth Test: Wednesday July 19-Sunday July 23, Old Trafford

Fifth Test: Thursday July 27-Monday 31, The Oval

Australia squad: Pat Cummins (c), Scott Boland, Alex Carey (wk), Cameron Green, Marcus Harris, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis (wk), Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Mitch Marsh, Todd Murphy, Michael Neser, Matthew Renshaw, Steve Smith (vc), Mitchell Starc, David Warner

England squad: Ben Stokes (c), Moeen Ali, James Anderson, Jonny Bairstow, Stuart Broad, Harry Brook, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Dan Lawrence, Ollie Pope, Ollie Robinson, Joe Root, Josh Tongue, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood