James Anderson Compares Virat Kohli and Sachin Tendulkar: A Bowler's Perspective

Anderson's Choice: Kohli or Tendulkar?

James Anderson, the legendary former pace bowler for England, has shared his thoughts on who he found to be the tougher opponent between Virat Kohli and Sachin Tendulkar during his remarkable Test career. After concluding his international cricket journey with a final match against the West Indies at Lord's, where his career began, Anderson reflected on his experiences.

Having played Test cricket for over 20 years, from 2002 to 2024, Anderson holds the record for the most Test matches played for England, with 188 appearances. Throughout his career, he faced some of the finest batsmen in cricket history, including both Tendulkar and Kohli. He encountered Tendulkar early in his career and faced Kohli during his prime.

The two Indian batting legends presented different challenges: Tendulkar with his exceptional technique and composure, and Kohli with his aggressive and fierce approach.

Anderson's Experience Against Kohli

In a recent discussion on the talkSPORT podcast, Anderson recounted his initial success against Kohli during the 2014 tour of England. However, he noted that Kohli became increasingly difficult to bowl to after his impressive performance in the 2018 Test series.

"I had some success early against Kohli in 2014, exploiting his weakness outside off-stump. But when I faced him again, he had clearly worked on that and transformed into a different player," Anderson explained.

"I managed to dismiss him 4-5 times in the first series, but in the subsequent encounters, he proved to be a formidable opponent," he added.

Kohli's Evolution in England

During the 2014 Test series in England, Kohli struggled, scoring only 134 runs at an average of 13.40 across 10 innings. However, by the 2018 series, he showcased his skills, accumulating 593 runs, including two centuries and three fifties, with an average of 59.30 in the same number of innings.

Kohli's most recent Test tour of England was in the 2021/22 series, where he scored 249 runs, featuring two fifties, at an average of 27.66 over nine innings.

Anderson's Insights on Dominance

Anderson further elaborated on the differences he felt while bowling to Kohli compared to Tendulkar. He noted a distinct shift in dominance when facing Kohli, who was eager to engage in a competitive battle.

"Against Sachin, I didn’t sense that same shift in dominance. With Kohli, it was evident. He has a steely mindset and a competitive spirit, making it challenging to bowl to him after my initial successes," Anderson remarked.

Contrasting Personalities on the Field

Anderson also highlighted the contrasting personalities of Kohli and Tendulkar. He described Tendulkar as calm and composed, while Kohli is more expressive and emotional on the field.

"Kohli is a different character compared to Sachin. Tendulkar was mild-mannered and calm, whereas Virat wears his emotions on his sleeve. His celebrations during his captaincy were quite noticeable," Anderson noted.

"I tried to focus on him as a batter rather than getting caught up in the emotions of the moment, but it was challenging given our intense battles on the field," he concluded.