Jasprit Bumrah vs Glenn McGrath vs Malcolm Marshall: How 3 eras performed in 50 Tests

Bumrah vs McGrath vs Marshall [Source: @BishOnTheRockx, @SelflessCricket, @ImVicky18_/X.com]

Jasprit Bumrah, India’s generational fast bowler, is playing his 50th Test against the West Indies in Delhi, becoming the first Indian fast bowler to complete 50 games across all formats (Test, ODI and T20I).

As Bumrah plays his monumental Test, let’s compare his Test stats so far to former legends Glenn McGrath and Malcolm Marshall.

How Bumrah’s early numbers stack up against McGrath and Marshall?

(Table: Bumrah, McGrath and Marshall's stats after 50 Tests)

After debuting in 2018, Jasprit Bumrah has played 49 Tests, taking 222 wickets at a phenomenal average of 19.89 and a strike rate of 42.8, both superior to Glenn McGrath and Malcolm Marshall at the same stage of their careers. 

In fact, among 87 bowlers with 200+ Test wickets, Jasprit is the only one with an average below 20. In Test cricket, an average below 25 is considered elite; below 20 is extraordinary, and that is clear evidence of the Indian bowler’s stature in the present generation. 

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Jasprit Bumrah and Malcolm Marshall are more complete bowlers

Both Malcolm Marshall and Jasprit Bumrah are true “any-surface” operators. While Marshall could swing both ways, Bumrah can hit the seam and extract reverse swing.

Both understand conditions quickly and use variations in seam position, pace, and length to stay effective everywhere. 

Marshall was surgical in his accuracy. He could bowl six balls on a coin, move it late, and vary his angle by coming around or over the wicket seamlessly.

Bumrah, in the modern era, has become synonymous with control under pressure; his yorkers, surprise bouncers, and wobble-seam deliveries are all precisely placed. 

Also, Malcolm Marshall was only 5’11”, shorter than most of his peers, yet he generated disconcerting bounce and pace through explosive shoulder rotation and perfect alignment.

Meanwhile, Jasprit Bumrah, with his short run-up and slingy release, defies conventional mechanics too. His pace comes from wrist snap, hyperextension, and impeccable timing rather than raw muscle.

Both Marshall and Bumrah had the ability to win games for their respective countries. The Barbadian could demolish batting orders in sessions. His 7/22 against England and broken-arm 10-wicket heroics against England in 1984 are legendary.

Likewise, Jasprit has turned matches in a single spell, from Lord’s 2021 to Cape Town 2025, his ability to seize moments under pressure mirrors Marshall’s killer instinct.

Glenn McGrath relied on length and bounce

Unlike Malcolm Marshall and Jasprit Bumrah, Glenn McGrath's signature was his almost flawless line and length, particularly outside off stump. He relentlessly bowled in that "corridor of uncertainty," inviting batsmen to make mistakes instead of dominating them.

McGrath didn’t rely on sheer pace or big variations to dominate. His control over where the ball lands and how it moves off the seam was far more consistent than that of many express bowlers.

At 6’5”, the Aussie had the advantage of height. He used his upright action to extract bounce, even on unhelpful pitches, and extract lateral movement along with awkward bounce.

Another thing that made McGrath stand apart was that he wasn’t flashy but patient. The Australian pacer liked to build pressure over spells, bowl dot balls, create frustration, and then strike. 

Final thought 

That being said, Glenn McGrath and Malcolm Marshall were products of eras that celebrated fast bowling. Jasprit Bumrah, however, operates in a different time, one dominated by aggressive batting, flat pitches, and shorter boundaries. 

Yet, his numbers are right up there, if not better. That’s what makes his 50-Test journey so remarkable.

If Bumrah continues this trajectory, staying fit and motivated, he could easily finish as one of the most complete fast bowlers in history. 

Like Glenn McGrath, he’s a master of discipline. Like Malcolm Marshall, he’s a master of destruction. And in combining the two, Jasprit Bumrah has carved out his own legacy, one that transcends eras and redefines what it means to be a modern-day great.

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