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.

Now, there are around 24 overs of spin required in this series to not break the record for the least number of deliveries bowled by spinners in a five-match series in history. A tall ask with England themselves having stuck with their spinning all-rounder Will Jacks instead of blooding their specialist option in Shoaib Bashir.

Australia at least made sure that it was a spinner who addressed the media at the end of a typically truncated Day 1 of the Sydney Test. With former New Zealand captain turned Australian assistant coach, Daniel Vettori, being tasked with talking about the decision to leave out Murphy and also the lack of spin bowling we've seen so far in this Ashes series.

"Over the last couple of years, Nathan Lyon's involvement in certain Test matches has been reduced. The wickets over the last couple of years have been conducive to seam bowling, and the seamers have been so effective that it's hard to go away from them.

"It just feels like they're the ones that are going to be in the game most of the time, and the spinners haven't been able to get into the games on these types of surfaces," he said.

Vettori though insisted that the plight of spinners in Australia was unlikely to become a long-term phenomenon and that he expects them to go back to bringing those of his ilk into play.

"I don't think it's going to be something that's going to continue on for years on end. Spin bowling is incredibly important to Test match cricket. I think people love watching it when it's at its absolute best, when conditions can suit and assist the spin bowler. We're just in the stage now where that's not the case."

With Lyon out of the series having just undergone a hamstring surgery, the selectors had shown faith in young Murphy as being his like for like replacement. Only for the Victorian to not get the nod in either of the Tests. But while captain Steve Smith spoke about how difficult a decision it was to not give Murphy his first home Test, Vettori revealed how much the off-spinner has improved since losing his spot just under 12 months ago in Sri Lanka.

"You've seen Todd through the A Series and through his time with Victoria that he's bowling exceptionally well. He possibly wasn't at his best but since then I think he's got his shoulder right, he's been fully fit and the bowler that presented in these two last two games has been the bowler we first saw in India when he first came on the scene. I think he's ready, he's bowling exceptionally well, once again, it's just tough to see him getting into the game when these conditions tend to suit seam bowling," said Vettori.

There are concerns however about the longstanding impact the predominantly green surfaces may have on spinners coming through the ranks. Not according to Vettori though.

"That's part of the growth as a spinner. First-class, you probably don't get those long spells. Probably first-class cricket a lot of the time the surfaces don't suit, either, so you don't get that opportunity and that's why the (Australia) A tours and the overseas tours are so important and they become such a huge part. When that time comes, there will definitely be a chance of getting one of those guys, because there's a few knocking at the door, the opportunity to develop their craft and learn over long, hard days. Then when the opportunity presents, they'll be ready."

Murphy & Co will hope that those opportunities come around next summer at the SCG, as does that statue of Benaud.