The Indian speedster has picked 219 wickets in Test cricket.
Choosing a legend over a legend in the making! Adil Rashid and Moeen Ali seem to be playing the rapid fire game a bit too safe. In a recent podcast, the duo was asked to pick between Brett Lee and Jasprit Bumrah. Without hesitation, both the England stars chose Brett Lee. While Brett Lee’s career is well past him now, Bumrah is clearly in the middle of his. However, with the impact both the bowlers have created, the choice would have been a difficult one.
Rashid and Moeen spoke about the importance of picking formats as well, while making their choice. While they agreed that Bumrah’s numbers seemed superior at this stage in the longest format, it will be extremely difficult to look past Brett Lee in white-ball cricket.
To add to that, the number of matches being played has also went up drastically, as compared to what it was a few years ago. Though this might have played a very little part in the decision-making of the two English stars, Brett Lee in his peak would be a difficult bowler to contain for any batter in the world.
While both Lee and Bumrah’s stats might compete with one another some years down the line, they are artists of the same art. Both speedsters come from the school of fast bowling and know their game inside out. But one factor led Rashid and Moeen pick the Australian over Jasprit Bumrah.
Longevity is one of the most important assets for a fast bowler. Brett Lee graced the game for a period of 13 years. On the other hand, it has been eight years for Bumrah in his international career. It was this factor that led to the duo choosing the Australian over Bumrah, especially in white-ball cricket. They expressed that Bumrah can create the same impact as Lee if he displays the same consistency and poise for the next five years.
Rashid and Moeen also put forth their opinions on the speeds of the two bowlers. As per the duo, Brett Lee used to bowl at speeds which were a lot higher than what today’s bowlers bowl at. The Australian legend used to bowl at speeds of 96-97mph regularly in his spells. In comparison to that, the bowlers of today’s day and age are not seen touching those speeds regularly.
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When it comes to stats, both Brett Lee and Jasprit Bumrah are not far behind in terms of the wickets column. However, what separates them is the type of batters they bowled to, and the nature of wickets they played on. Apart from those factors which make some difference, both the bowlers have been instrumental in the success of their sides.
In ODI cricket, Lee has the upper hand. In 221 matches, the Australian pacer has bagged 380 wickets at an average of 23.36. To add to that, Lee also possesses nine five-wicket hauls to his name, along with 14 four-wicket hauls. On the other hand, Bumrah has just played 89 matches and picked up 149 wickets in the 50-over format. The Indian spearhead only has two five-wicket hauls in ODIs, and will aim to improve that stat.
Having said that, the Indian pacer has been an absolute beast in the longest format. In just 48 matches, Bumrah has scalped 219 wickets with an economy of 2.78. Holding an economy of under three in today’s era where batters are trying to smother bowlers for runs is a huge win. On the other hands, Lee holds 310 wickets in 76 Test matches with an economy of 3.46. However, Bumrah holds 15 five-wicket hauls in Tests, as compared to Lee’s 10.
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