Statistical comparison: Shane Warne v Muttiah Muralitharan

We, as in cricket fans, have been extremely fortunate in that the game of cricket has seen a plethora of top-quality spinners over the years. Be it Bill O’Reilly and Richie Benaud from Australia, Anil Kumble and the famous spin quartet of the 1970s from India, or Abdul Qadir and Saqlain Mushtaq from Pakistan, the list of high-class spinners to have played cricket is nigh-on endless. While spin bowling may not give a layman the same excitement as a fast bowler running in at full throttle with the aim of knocking a batsman’s head off, a contest between a high quality spinner and a good player of spin bowling is a pure joy to behold.With that being the case, the question arises as to who is the greatest spin bowler of all-time? With there being such a vast variety of great spinners, these debates can often be futile. But, I think, it is safe to say that the debate about the greatest spin bowler ever eventually comes down to two individuals: Shane Warne and Muttiah Muralitharan. While both were match-winners of the highest quality for their respective sides throughout the 1990s and 2000s and it is almost impossible to reach a conclusive decision on the greater spinner among the two without a tinge of subjectivity, let’s see if statistics can provide us a definitive answer.

#1 Overall Test record

Whether one likes it or not, Warne’s enormous media profile because of him being from Australia and perennial doubt surrounding the legality of Murali’s action has always meant that the Australian has been on a slightly higher pedestal. However, the overall Test record of the two bowlers suggests that Murali was a tad superior to Warne.

While Warne took 708 wickets from 145 Tests for Australia, Murali had 800 scalps to his name, having played 12 Tests fewer. Murali also fares better in terms of number of runs conceded per wicket and frequency of wickets taken. Murali’s average and strike-rate were 22.72 and 55, respectively, in comparison to Warne’s average and strike-rate of 25.41 and 57.4.

Player	Matches	Wickets	Average	Strike-rate
Shane Warne	145	708	25.41	57.4
Muttiah Muralitharan	133	800	22.72	55

#2 ODI cricket

Warne was known more for his exploits in Test cricket as opposed to ODI cricket, which is understandable given the fact that he played his last ODI for Australia in January 2003 after testing positive for a banned substance just prior to the 2003 ODI World Cup; however, his impact in ODI cricket wasn’t any less. He played just 194 ODIs for Australia, but he was instrumental in Australia winning the 1999 ODI World Cup and also was an influential member of the team that reached the final of the 1996 World Cup.

Murali, you could argue, was one of the greatest ODI bowlers of all-time. Especially after adding the delivery that turned the other way to his armoury, which batsmen found incredibly tough picking even towards the end of his career, opposition teams would often be content at taking 3-4 runs off a Murali over. Despite their cautiousness while facing him, Murali had the ability to make a couple of major breakthroughs and turn a one-day game on its head, and often did so. The Sri Lankan finished his ODI career with 534 wickets from 350 ODI games and is currently the leading wicket-taker in ODI cricket history.

Player	Matches	Wickets	Average	Strike-rate
Shane Warne	194	293	25.73	36.3
Muttiah Muralitharan	350	534	23.08	35.2

#3 Test record in matches won

As any top sportsman will tell you, what they cherish most is contributing to their team in a winning cause. While, in a team sport like cricket, an individual can’t do it all himself and has to rely on the other 10 blokes contributing a decent measure, what separates the best from the rest is their ability to tilt the match their way when it is hanging in the balance. Going by the records, Warne and Murali pass this parameter as they have both played starring roles in team victories. However, it must be mentioned that Warne had a significant advantage as compared to Murali on this count. Warne played in a world-class team consisting of the likes of Steve Waugh, Ricky Ponting, Adam Gilchrist and Glenn McGrath, which meant that the pressure to deliver on Warne was not as enormous as that on Murali.

Player	Matches won	Wickets	Average	Strike-rate
Shane Warne	92	510	22.47	51.2
Muttiah Muralitharan	54	438	16.18	42.7

#4 Test record in and outside subcontinent

While Muralis numbers are better than that of Warnes, it would be disingenuous to make a judgment without considering the fact that Murali had a huge advantage by playing a large number of his matches in the subcontinent. Warne, on the other hand, played most of his cricket in his home country and in places like England and South Africa, consisting mostly ofpitches inimical to spin bowling.

In the subcontinent (India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka)

Player	Matches	Wickets	Average	Strike-rate
Shane Warne	25	127	26.81	52.6
Muttiah Muralitharan	97	612	21.69	53.2

Outside subcontinent (Australia, England, South Africa, West Indies, New Zealand and Zimbabwe)

Player	Matches	Wickets	Average	Strike-rate
Shane Warne	120	581	25.11	58.5
Muttiah Muralitharan	36	188	26.08	61

#5 5-wicket hauls in Test and ODI cricket

Just like a century for a batsman, a 5-wicket haul is considered extremely precious from a bowling point of view. But, for some reason or the other, a 5-wicket haul is not given the same amount of importance by cricket fans. Murali and Warne didn’t bother, though, as they took a myriad of 5-wicket hauls over their long and illustrious careers. They are, after all, the top 2 as far as bowlers with the most number of 5-wicket hauls in Test cricket is concerned.

Unlike Murali’s and Warne’s other numbers, there is a huge disparity in the number of 5-wicket hauls taken by the two bowlers in Test cricket: while Murali has a colossal 67 Test 5-wicket hauls to his name, Warne has “just” taken 37. Murali and Warne have taken 10 wickets in a Test match 22 and 10 times respectively. In ODI cricket, too, Murali fares better than Warne as far as 5-wicket hauls are concerned, although the former played 156 more ODIs.

Player	Tests	ODIs	5-wicket hauls in Tests	10 wickets in a Test match	5-wicket hauls in ODI cricket
Shane Warne	145	194	37	10	1
Muttiah Muralitharan	133	350	67	22	10

#6 Against top Test playing nations

While comparing the Test records ofWarne and Murali, another important aspect to take into account is how they have faredagainst thetop Test playing nations. The true quality of a player can only beascertained by considering hisrecord while coming up against teams that are of similarcalibre. During Warnes and Muralis time, it would be fair to say that Australia, India, South Africa, England and Sri Lanka were largely the top 5 Test teams in the world. The one blot on Warnes career was his indifferent record against India, who are very good players of spin bowling to be fair. Murali, meanwhile, struggled against Australia for a large part of his career, especially while playing Down Under.

Shane Warne

Opposition	Matches	Wickets	Average	Strike-rate
England	36	195	23.25	55.1
India	14	43	47.18	91.2
South Africa	24	130	24.16	60.9
Sri Lanka	13	59	25.54	53.6

Muttiah Muralitharan

Opposition	Matches	Wickets	Average	Strike-rate
Australia	13	59	36.06	69.7
England	16	112	20.06	59
India	22	105	32.61	66.8
South Africa	15	104	22.22	56.8

#7 Against Test match minnows

Conversely, while wickets are wickets irrespective of the opposition, it wouldn’t be unfair to opine that wickets against Bangladesh and Zimbabwe, with due respect, aren’t the most hard-earned. Hence, performances against the minnows are not as valuable as those against some of the top quality sides and rank slightly lower in priority.

Murali enjoys a distinct advantage in this aspect as he played a total of 25 Tests matches against Bangladesh and Zimbabwe, whereas Warne played a meagre 3.

Shane Warne

Opposition	Matches	Wickets	Average	Strike-rate
Bangladesh	2	11	27.27	47.6
Zimbabwe	1	6	22.83	53.1

Muttiah Muralitharan

Opposition	Matches	Wickets	Average	Strike-rate
Bangladesh	11	89	13.37	30.4
Zimbabwe	14	87	16.86	54.2