James Anderson has once again praised Virat Kohli. The two cricketing greats have faced each other numerous times on the international stage, with each having their moments of dominance over the other.
Kohli had a tough time during his first tour to England in 2014, where Anderson dismissed him several times. In total, Anderson has dismissed Kohli seven times in Test cricket across 170 deliveries. Kohli has managed to score 305 runs off Anderson, hitting 39 fours and maintaining a strike rate of 42.95.
On the ‘Tailenders Podcast,’ Anderson was asked about Kohli, especially after his standout Player of the Match performance in the T20 World Cup 2024 against South Africa in Barbados. Anderson praised Kohli’s remarkable record in run-chases, calling him the greatest batsman when it comes to chasing down totals.
“His record chasing is absolutely phenomenal. I don’t know if there’s been a better batter in the history of the game while batting second or chasing down scores” said Anderson.
“In the 50-over format in particular, the number of hundreds he has scored in the second innings, chasing down scores is ridiculous,” the 42-year-old fast bowler said praising his qualities as a finisher.
Virat Kohli vs James Anderson In Tests: 7 Dismissals, In ODIs, 3
James Anderson noted that Kohli thrives in high-pressure situations while chasing due to his strong mentality and self-belief.
Anderson, who retired from international cricket after the first Test against the West Indies, ended his career with 704 Test wickets, the highest by an England bowler. He also took 269 ODI wickets. England won the Test series 3-0 and gave Anderson a memorable farewell.
Following his retirement, Anderson immediately took on a role as mentor and bowling coach for the England Test team for that series.
As the 41-year-old concluded his illustrious 21-year career, he reflected on his encounters with Indian star Virat Kohli. Anderson recalled that early in Kohli’s career, he felt he could dismiss him with every delivery. However, as Kohli’s dominance in world cricket grew, Anderson found him increasingly difficult to get out.
“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. Playing against Virat Kohli in the early days, you felt you could get him out every ball, and then recently like you can’t get him out at all. You feel so inferior,” James Anderson told Sky Sports.
Anderson dismissed Virat Kohli four times in the 2014 series. Between 2016, to 2018 he could not dismiss him even once.
During this period, Kohli dominated, accumulating substantial runs against England. In the 2014 tour, Anderson could only manage to dismiss Kohli ten times, with Kohli scoring 134 runs from ten innings at an average of 13.40 and a top score of 39.
However, in the 2018 tour, Kohli excelled, finishing as the series’ top run-scorer with 593 runs from ten innings at an average of 59.30, including two centuries and three fifties. After 2014, Anderson managed to dismiss Kohli just twice in 2021.
