James Anderson, England’s legendary fast bowler, recently concluded his illustrious cricketing career. In his farewell speech, he reflected on one of the most celebrated rivalries in modern cricket: his battles with Indian batting maestro Virat Kohli.
Anderson, who has retired at the age of 41, looked back at his numerous duels with Kohli, which spanned over a decade and several Test series. He mentioned that although Sachin Tendulkar might be the best batter he ever bowled to, his encounters with Kohli were particularly memorable.
“Playing against Virat Kohli in the early days, you felt you could get him out every ball,” Anderson said in an interview with Sky Sports. “And then recently, it felt like you can’t get him out at all. You feel so inferior.”
The rivalry between Anderson and Kohli evolved significantly over time. In 2014, Anderson had the upper hand, dismissing Kohli five times in ten Tests. However, Kohli turned the tables in the 2016 series in India, where he dominated Anderson and the rest of the English bowling attack.
By 2018, Kohli had firmly established himself as one of the world’s best batters, accumulating almost 700 runs in a series against England without being dismissed by Anderson even once. The last significant chapter in their rivalry came during the 2021 series, where the honors were more evenly shared, with Anderson getting Kohli out twice as the series ended in a 2-2 draw.
In his speech, Anderson didn’t just highlight the statistics but also the emotional roller-coaster that characterized their encounters. “You go so up and down. Some series you feel amazing and some not quite on it, and a batter gets the better of you,” he explained.
Throughout 36 Test innings, Kohli has scored 305 runs against Anderson off 710 balls, with 560 of those being dot balls. Kohli has hit Anderson for 39 fours but has never managed to clear the ropes against him. Kohli’s strike-rate against Anderson stands at 42.95, with an average of 43.57.
As Anderson rides off into the sunset, the cricketing world will remember his fierce yet respectful rivalry with Kohli as one of the highlights of his career. The legendary bowler’s reflections serve as a testament to the high regard in which he holds his Indian counterpart and the mutual respect that exists between the two greats of the game.
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