Will try to find new tricks against Kohli at Lord’s, says James Anderson

One thing that dominates India-England Test matches nowadays is the rivalry between Indian captain Virat Kohli and England’s spearhead James Anderson and in the just-concluded first Test at Edgbaston. While Kohli won his individual bout against Anderson, his team lost to the hosts by 31 runs. The Indian No.4 scored 200 runs in the Test but didn’t get out to Anderson in either inning of the game, unlike how things had panned out in the 2014 series.

However, the English spearhead is not displeased with his bowling against the Indian skipper in Birmingham. The 36-year-old seamer said that he will try to use a few new tricks against Kohli at Lord’s where the two sides will lock horns for their second Test from Thursday, August 9.

“I felt good bowling to Virat and my plans worked well. I might have dismissed him a few times with some plays and misses plus a dropped catch. I’ve been told only 17 of his 149 runs in the first innings came off my bowling. But the fact is, I didn’t get him out and he scored a century and a half-century. So I’m not getting carried away! In fact, it makes me even more determined to be on top form in the Second Test at Lord’s,” Anderson wrote in his column for The Sun.

Kohli was dropped off Anderson’s bowling by Dawid Malan in the slips when he was on 21 but other than that, the batsman stood rock solid against the top bowler en route his 149 in the first innings that brought India back into the game. He was eventually dismissed by Adil Rashid in the first innings and by Ben Stokes in the second on the individual score of 51.

Top-ranked batsman vs bowler

Anderson, however, reminded the strong mutual respect he shares with Kohli.

“There’s a fiercely competitive rivalry between myself and Virat Kohli — but also enormous mutual respect,” the England great who is just 20 scalps short of becoming the planet’s highest wicket-taking fast bowler, said.

“Kohli is ranked the world’s No. 1 Test batsman after scoring 200 runs in the First Test and I’m the top-ranked bowler.”

Anderson, who had a close shave at a golf session after the first Test when he was hit by the deflecting ball that he clobbered, said he will watch videos to try different things against the in-form batter.

He also praised the other England bowlers as they bowled well against Kohli and were successful versus other Indian batsmen. None of the Indians could rise to the occasion in either inning as the next highest scorer in India’s innings after Kohli’s 149 and 51 in the entire match was Hardik Pandya’s 31.

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