James Anderson has played some big games against India’s top batsmen, like Sachin Tendulkar and Virat Kohli. He’s had some success, getting Sachin out nine times and Kohli seven times in Test cricket. He got Sachin out in England and India, while Kohli struggled in England during the 2014 series. Now that all three have retired from Tests, Anderson spoke about his experiences against these Indian legends on the talkSport Podcast, as reported by Hindustan Times.
He said Kohli and Sachin were very different players. Sachin, according to Anderson, was calm and composed, while Kohli was more fiery and emotional. He said he tried to focus on Kohli’s batting and not get caught up in on-field drama, but it wasn’t always easy.
“Kohli was a different character to Sachin. Sachin was mild and calm, while Virat was more open with his emotions. You could see it in how he celebrated his wickets as captain. I really tried to keep my emotions out of it and just think of him as a batsman, but that was tough considering the battles we had.”
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Anderson also said Sachin was further along in his career and had respect all over the world. Being younger, he didn’t want to trash talk with Sachin since he was a big presence. He said, “I had more verbal battles with Virat than Sachin. With Sachin I tried my best to keep it respectful. He was like a god in India and it was amazing how the fans loved him. But as Kohli’s career progressed he gained that kind of respect too. Early on he didn’t have that same kind of intimidation factor.”
In the podcast, Anderson shows his respect for India’s cricket legends. Kohli has also spoken highly of Anderson before and fans are looking forward to more competitive cricket between the new generation in the upcoming five-match series.
