Overlooked in Manchester as Australia deemed a spinner surplus to their needs, Murphy claimed 2-22 from six overs on Thursday as England were all out for 283.
The offspinner tossed the ball up to an injured Moeen Ali and bowled him for 34, before also knocking over a slogging Mark Wood on 28.
He also created another chance to have Chris Woakes caught and bowled, only to put down a mis-hit drive that was struck back at him.
But what will please Australia most would have been the 22-year-old's control.
While Moeen was injured and Wood is a lower-order bat, Murphy bowled few loose balls in his six overs and was the tidiest in going at 3.86 an over.
England have made a point to go after spinners in this series attacking Nathan Lyon before he injured his calf and trying to take down Murphy at Headingley.
"When they're playing the sort of cricket that they are it nearly comes back to one-day cricket where you have to mix and match," Murphy said on Sky Sports.
"Be brave at times and also be smart. Make sure when they're coming at you it's on your terms."
Telling too was the fact Australia appeared to show more faith in Murphy.
After Australia used him sparingly at Leeds that raised questions over how much he would bowl in Manchester, Murphy was thrown the ball with England three wickets down on Thursday.
"As a spinner and cricketer in particular you just want to be able to get in the game and be involved in it," Murphy said.
"It's nice to get in there nice and early today and contribute a little bit."
Murphy is every chance of being chief spinner when Australia next return to England for the Ashes in 2027, after impressing on his debut tour of India earlier this year.
Thursday's Test is still only Murphy's third first-class game as the sole spinner, having played most games for Australia alongside Nathan Lyon and Jon Holland at Victoria.
"He's going to learn from those experiences, his first Ashes tour on the back of his first Indian tour," Mitchell Starc said.
"He's going to be a quality spinner for us for a long time.
"Obviously coming in and trying to fill Nathan's boots is a big deal as it is. Nathan's obviously bowled quite well here in the past off the back of the Test final.
"Todd's run off the back of that and bowled some really good overs today and got some crucial wickets."
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