Sachin Tendulkar, 9. Virat Kohli, 7. That’s the number of times James Anderson has dismissed two of India’s greatest in Tests. How many bowlers can you name that have bowled to both Tendulkar and Kohli, let alone dominate them? There’s only one. Ander-freaking-son. The former England pacer had multiple battles with Tendulkar and Kohli, of course, during different stages of his career. In fact, more than Tendulkar, his face-offs against Kohli made engaging headlines in the 2010s. 15 Test matches across eight years. That’s how much history Kohli and Anderson shared.
Recalling his battles against Kohli and Tendulkar, when asked who is the most difficult batter to bowl to, Anderson picked Virat. Everyone remembers Kohli’s maiden Test tour of England in 2014 and how Anderson introduced to the world Virat’s vulnerability against balls outside off stump. After 134 runs in four Tests, Kohli made a stunning comeback in 2018, plundering 697 runs and keeping Anderson wicketless against him. Anderson had the last laugh in 2021, but it wasn’t as one-sided as in 2014. As for Sachin, Anderson played against him when Tendulkar had already reached legendary status, hence the contest wasn’t as intense as the one he shared against Kohli.
Also Read: Virat Kohli pens heartfelt note on Father’s Day, recalls a life-changing moment
“I had some success early against Kohli, the first time he came to England in 2014. I really exploited his weakness of outside off-stump, and then the next time I played against him – he had obviously gone back and worked on that – he was totally a different player. He really had taken his game to a different level, made it very difficult for not just me but for bowlers in general. I got him out 4-5 times in the first series and then didn’t get him out in the next I played against him,” Anderson said on the talkSport podcast.
Also Read: Sachin Tendulkar steps in, speaks to BCCI, ECB after Pataudi Trophy rebranded to Anderson-Tendulkar
“Against Sachin, for example, I didn’t feel like there was that sort of shift in dominance. With Kohli, there was definitely a shift. Found him a very difficult player to bowl at because he had that steely mindset, wanted to get into a battle. He’s very competitive and after that initial success, it was very difficult to bowl against.”
Anderson and Kohli had a go at each other on numerous instances, none more so talked about than what transpired four years ago during the Lord’s Test. After Jasprit Bumrah had peppered Anderson with six short-pitched deliveries in an over, and then some, the England pacer responded with a few verbal volleys. So much so that Kohli, while at the non-striker end, told Anderson ‘You swearing at me? Just like you did against Jasprit? This isn’t your fu**ing backyard.” With Tendulkar, things weren’t as hot-headed.
Anderson’s contrasting battles with Kohli and Tendulkar
“Kohli was a slightly different character than Sachin. Sachin was very mild, mannered; very calm at the crease. Virat was more expressive with his emotions. Wore them on his sleeves and you can kind of see it. In his captaincy, when he celebrated his wickets. I tried as much as I could to get that feeling out of the equation and just try to think of him as a batter and not too much about who it was. It was difficult at times; we had many battles on the field,” pointed out Anderson.
“I definitely had more verbal battles with Virat than with Sachin. With Sachin I tried not to. He was certainly at a different stage in his career when I played against him. He had this sort of God-like presence, and how he was held in India. It was incredible how the fans treated him and looked up to him. But as Virat’s career went on, that became more and more like that for him. But at the start of his career, it wasn’t quite intimidating.