During his long international cricketing career, one of England’s greatest fast bowlers had enthralling confrontations with India’s leading batsmen.
“You can come and join our support-staff if you want to.” When one of the best ever called time on his career, I remembered a strange job offer made by James Anderson six years back.
It was in 2018 as summer approached that Anderson was struck all of a sudden by something he hadn’t really bothered him until then. Kohli discovered how to play against the legendary English paceman and caught Anderson unprepared at 35. After the massive struggles of 2014, when Ando had got Kohli for four ducks in previous games, the Indian genius came over to England with a plan.
Kohli threw out age-long formulae for batting late against swing bowlers and decided to stand outside the crease against both Anderson and Stuart Broad, who opened together. It was then that the Indian skipper vowed that he would face delivery from Jimmy before it broke for swing; hence making it one of most captivating battles you’ll ever see.
The first test match at Edgbaston on a devilish wicket saw Kohli get an incredible hundred in the first innings by taking on Anderson. Yes, there were some hard chances which went down but whose fault is that? It was an innings of breathtaking quality and when asked about Kohli by Indian journalists, someone could feel slightly pissed off with Anderson who at TOI interview bluntly stated whether he would bowl shorter to respond to Virat’s new trick of coming forward out of his crease?
After a lopsided 2014 series where Anderson dominated over Kohli, England’s most experienced seamer failed to dismiss this great Indian batsman even once during their next series in 2018. While England won 4-1 in the series, there were moments of glory for Anderson and this became one of the greatest contests ever. The last time the English seamer played international cricket was on Friday, in Lord’s, but he had to wait for three years to finally get Kohli out twice again in 2021.
Kohli has fallen seven times from Anderson’s balls in their 25 Test matches with him, though Englishman boasts a much better record with Sachin Tendulkar. Little master got stuck nine times by the king of swing from fourteen games they both played while Anderson believes that “Sachin is the batter I have ever bowled to”.
This statement may sound contradictory owing to its success ratio but perhaps it means that Anderson could not alter Tendulkar’s game plan. The batsman with fifty-one Test centuries remained unchanged, going about his business using those old principles of waiting for the ball before making a decision against the finest swing bowler in the twenty-first century who beat him as many times as he did himself.
Sachin and Anderson had some amazing contests over the years but the one that probably stands out is their last duel at Eden Gardens in 2012. The series was tied at 1-1 by then and on a hazy Kolkata day, Tendulkar batted brilliantly during the first two sessions, coping with Anderson’s swing in his own lovely traditional fashion.
It is in the third session that something did not swing as late as it possibly could have before kissing the outside edge of Sachin’s bat for a catch by keeper. Our hearts were broken, match swung, series turned and we are now left with those memories which still make cricket a beautiful game.
