James Anderson reflects: Kohli’s fierce rivalry eclipsed calm Tendulkar’s on-field battles

James Anderson reveals how Virat Kohli’s intense competitiveness and emotional expressiveness made him a tougher opponent than Sachin Tendulkar, highlighting a rivalry marked by 15 Test matches and numerous verbal battles. This insight uncovers the evolving dynamics of cricket’s greatest bowling-batting duels.

Sources:
News24onlineCircleofcricket+1
Updated 2h ago
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Sources: News24onlineCircleofcricket
James Anderson, England's leading fast bowler, reflected on his intense on-field rivalry with Indian batsman Virat Kohli, contrasting it with his encounters against cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar.

"With Sachin, for example, I didn't feel like there was that sort of shift in dominance. With Kohli, there was definitely a shift," Anderson said, emphasizing Kohli's fierce competitiveness and steely mindset.

Anderson recalled his early success against Kohli during the 2014 England tour, exploiting Kohli's initial weakness outside off-stump. However, Kohli adapted quickly, becoming a much tougher opponent in subsequent series.

"He’d really taken his game to a different level. Made it very difficult for not just me but for the bowlers in general," Anderson noted, admitting he dismissed Kohli only four or five times in the first series and struggled thereafter.

Statistically, their rivalry is closely contested. According to Cricmetric, Kohli scored 305 runs off 710 balls against Anderson in Tests, maintaining an average of 43.6 and a strike rate of 43.0. Anderson has dismissed Kohli 7 times, highlighting the competitive nature of their battles.

Anderson also highlighted the contrasting personalities: "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." He added, "I definitely had more verbal battles with Virat than with Sachin. With Sachin I tried not to."

Their 15 Test matches over eight years encapsulate a rivalry marked by intensity, adaptation, and mutual respect, with Kohli's aggressive style eclipsing the calm demeanor of Tendulkar in Anderson's experience.
Sources: CircleofcricketNews24online
James Anderson reflected on his cricket battles, noting Virat Kohli's fierce, competitive mindset made him tougher to bowl at than Sachin Tendulkar, who was calmer and milder. Anderson highlighted a shift in dominance with Kohli, describing their rivalry as intense and emotionally charged over 15 Tests spanning eight years.
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Key Facts
  • James Anderson exploited Virat Kohli's weakness against balls outside off stump during their first series in England in 2014, but Kohli had worked on this and became a different player in subsequent encounters.1
  • Anderson and Kohli competed in 15 Test matches over eight years, building a significant history of rivalry.1
  • Anderson found Kohli more difficult to bowl to than Sachin Tendulkar, citing Kohli's steely mindset and desire to engage in battle.3CircleofcricketNews24online
  • Kohli scored 305 runs off 710 balls against Anderson with 7 dismissals, maintaining a cautious approach with 560 dot balls, reflecting a watchful and strategic batting style.News24online
  • Anderson described Kohli as more expressive and competitive than the calm Sachin Tendulkar, noting more verbal battles occurred between him and Kohli.2Circleofcricket
With 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.
Hindustan Times
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Former England legend and speedster, James Anderson while speaking with TalkSport podcast, revealed about his greatest battles on the cricket ground. He opened up about the difficulty he faced while playing against former India captain Virat Kohli and his mindset. He also revealed that as compared Indian legend Sachin Tendulkar, he faced much difficulty while playing against Kohli.
News24online
News24online
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.
Circleofcricket
Circleofcricket
Key Stats at a Glance
Number of Test matches between Anderson and Kohli
15 Test matches
1
Runs scored by Kohli against Anderson
305 runs
News24online
Balls faced by Kohli against Anderson
710 balls
News24online
Dismissals of Kohli by Anderson
7 times
News24online
Dot balls faced by Kohli against Anderson
560 dot balls
News24online
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