India star batter Virat Kohli and James Anderson shared one of the fiercest rivalries in international cricket. Kohli and Anderson faced each other for the first time in 2014 when the England speedster picked her wicket five times in 10 Tests. In 2016, the tables turned as Kohli dominated Anderson during a five-Test series in India. Kohli managed to counter Anderson in the 2018 series without getting out and scoring over 700 runs. The last chapter in the battle of the best was in 2021 when Anderson managed to dismiss Kohli twice in that series.
Virat Kohli's video for James Anderson
As Anderson announced his retirement from international cricket an old video went viral on social media where Kohli was recalling his on-field conversation with England legend. Here is the clip.
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In the video, Kohli revealed that he used to imitate Anderson’s bowling action when he was younger. Kohli was a teenager at a cricket academy and had aspirations to bowl with pace like Anderson. James made his debut for England in 2003 and Kohli was full of admiration towards the modern-day great.
Kohli said “Anderson was surprised to hear this and asked, “Seriously”? To which Kohli responded “Yes”. Kohli also added “It’s now a part of history” advising the fans to cherish the memorable moment shared between the greats.
James Anderson also mentioned Kohli in his retirement speech. When questioned about his most successful year, Anderson namedropped Virat Kohli and replied:
“I feel like you go so up and down. Some series you feel amazing and then the next one, you're not quite on it. Playing against [Virat] Kohli in the early days, you feel like you could get him out every ball; now, you feel like you can't get him out at all and feel so inferior”.
Anderson ended his Test career with 704 scalps and on the other hand, Kohli will still play in the longest format of the game for India.
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