James Anderson has revealed that he found Virat Kohli more difficult to bowl to than Sachin Tendulkar. Anderson dismissed Tendulkar nine times in Tests and Kohli seven times. He acknowledged that his battles with Kohli were more intense and engaging than those against Tendulkar.
Anderson admitted that he exploited Kohli’s weakness outside off stump during India’s 2014 tour of England. Kohli managed only 134 runs in four Tests. However, Anderson noted that Kohli returned as a completely different player in 2018. He had worked on his game and made it very difficult for bowlers. Kohli scored 697 runs in that series, and Anderson did not dismiss him even once. The rivalry continued in 2021, but it was not as one-sided as in 2014.
Anderson described Tendulkar as mild-mannered and calm at the crease. Kohli, on the other hand, was more expressive with his emotions. He wore his feelings on his sleeves and was very competitive. Anderson said he had more verbal battles with Kohli than with Tendulkar. Against Tendulkar, he tried to avoid confrontation because of the God-like status Tendulkar had in India.
Anderson also recalled the famous exchange at Lord’s in 2021. After Jasprit Bumrah bowled short-pitched deliveries to Anderson, the England pacer responded with words. Kohli, at the non-striker’s end, told Anderson that he was not in his backyard. Despite the heated moments, Anderson tried to treat Kohli as just a batsman and not focus on who he was. He admitted it was difficult at times because of their history on the field.
AB de Villiers Rates Virat Kohli Above Sachin Tendulkar in Test Cricket
AB de Villiers has made a huge claim about Virat Kohli and Sachin Tendulkar. He believes Kohli was better than Tendulkar in Test cricket, particularly when it comes to overseas performances. He acknowledged that Tendulkar was the first to show that subcontinent batters could succeed in bouncy and seaming conditions. But he argued that Kohli took that forward and raised the bar even higher.
De Villiers was speaking after India’s 165-run victory over Sri Lanka in Galle. He noted that Kohli’s influence on Indian Test cricket helped the team become a formidable side overseas. He also pointed out that this influence has carried into the current generation. Players like KL Rahul and Devdutt Padikkal are following in the footsteps of both Tendulkar and Kohli.
However, the statistics suggest Tendulkar still holds the edge when it comes to overseas performances. Tendulkar scored 8,705 of his 15,921 Test runs outside India, accounting for about 55 percent of his total. He is the leading run-scorer among batters in overseas Test cricket. Kohli, on the other hand, scored 4,774 runs in 66 Tests outside India. In SENA countries, Tendulkar amassed 5,387 runs in 63 Tests at an average of 51.30, while Kohli scored 3,661 runs in 46 Tests at an average of 42.08.
De Villiers also identified overseas batting as an area where KL Rahul needs to improve. He praised Rahul’s technique but pointed out that he averages only 34 away from home. He said Rahul needs to make bigger scores once he gets in and not just get a hundred but make it a 180. He added that the name of the game for Rahul will be to make the big scores even bigger.
Virat Kohli Calls His Test Captaincy Era a Golden Period for India
Virat Kohli has called his time as India’s Test captain a golden era in the team’s journey. He spoke about this in a teaser for the RCB podcast. Kohli retired from Test cricket last year after a poor run of form. He ended his career as India’s fourth-highest run-getter with 9,230 runs at an average of 46.85 and 30 centuries. He also became India’s most successful Test captain with 40 wins in 68 matches.
Kohli said he looked back at the time he played Test cricket for so long and led India to some amazing victories. He described it as a golden era in their Test journey. He said the team was made up of a bunch of young guys who always wanted to play Test cricket for India. They had the opportunity of their lives as a young group.
The most important thing, according to Kohli, was the average age of the team. There was no hesitation between seniors and juniors. Everyone had played under the senior players a little bit before. Many younger players came in after that, and the team was like a group of friends. Kohli was leading, and the management was taking the team forward, but because of the average age of the group, everyone felt like they had responsibilities and ownership.
It was not like only a few people would look after the team and others had nothing to do with it. The team felt like they were young and wanted to create a team for the next six, seven, or eight years. Everyone started asking themselves what they could do to make the team better. That sense of shared ownership was key to the team’s success during his captaincy.
FAQs
Q. Who found Virat Kohli harder to bowl to?
A. James Anderson found Kohli harder to bowl to than Sachin Tendulkar.
Q. How many times did Anderson dismiss Kohli?
A. Anderson dismissed Kohli seven times in Test cricket.
Q. How many times did Anderson dismiss Tendulkar?
A. Anderson dismissed Tendulkar nine times in Tests.
Q. How many overseas Test runs did Tendulkar score?
A. Tendulkar scored 8,705 runs outside India.
Q. How many overseas Test runs did Kohli score?
A. Kohli scored 4,774 runs in 66 Tests outside India.
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