James Anderson Discusses Challenges of Bowling to Virat Kohli

Anderson Reflects on His Cricket Rivalries

In a recent conversation on the TalkSport podcast, former England cricket star James Anderson shared insights into his most challenging encounters on the field. He specifically highlighted the difficulties he faced while bowling to former Indian captain Virat Kohli, noting that he found Kohli to be a tougher opponent compared to cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar. Kohli announced his retirement from Test cricket last month.

Anderson's Experience Against Kohli

Anderson recounted, "I had some early success against Kohli during his first tour to England in 2014. I managed to exploit a weakness he had outside the off-stump. However, by the next series, he had clearly worked on that aspect of his game, making it feel like I was bowling to a completely different player."

He continued, "Kohli elevated his performance to a level that posed challenges not just for me but for bowlers overall. In the first series, I dismissed him four or five times, but in subsequent encounters, I struggled to get him out. In contrast, I didn’t experience such a significant shift in dominance when facing Sachin."

Statistical Overview of Their Rivalry

James Anderson said "Virat Kohli is the toughest batter I have bowled to in the Fab 4. [TalkSport podcast] pic.twitter.com/LNoLOlm0pr

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According to Cricmetric, Kohli has accumulated 305 runs from 710 balls faced against Anderson in Test matches. The bowler has dismissed Kohli seven times, showcasing a competitive rivalry. Kohli's batting average against Anderson stands at 43.6, with a strike rate of 43.0, indicating a cautious approach, as evidenced by the 560 dot balls he faced. With 39 boundaries and no sixes, Kohli tends to favor ground shots in their matchups, making their head-to-head encounters some of the most intriguing in contemporary Test cricket.