Who removed my spinner?

Todd Murphy is yet to play a home Test for Australia. (Getty)

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There are rumours that the Richie Benaud statue next to the Ladies Stand walked out of the SCG at around 10 am on Sunday morning. It was just after Steve Smith officially announced at the toss that Australia were making only a single change to their playing XI for the final Ashes Test. And that didn't include Todd Murphy. Meaning that there would be an Australian Test XI at the Sydney Cricket Ground sans a spinner for the first time since 1888.

An unthinkable outcome at a venue, which for over a century was renowned as being the spinners’ haven in Australia. One where routinely Australian captains would opt for two specialist spinners and one where for the last decade Australian captains have been quizzed about why they don't go in with that option more often.

So, for Australia to have broken a 138-year run in terms of playing a spinner at the SCG is not only staggering but also a sign of how the impact of spin seems to have dwindled on these shores of late.

Last year, Nathan Lyon bowled the fewest number of deliveries for him across a Test summer during the Border Gavaskar Trophy. And the numbers for spin have dropped even more dramatically this time around.