James Anderson Reveals His Toughest Decision: Exploiting Virat Kohli’s Weakness but Holding Back Against Sachin Tendulkar

James Anderson revealed who was the ‘most difficult’ batter to bowl to between Virat Kohli and Sachin Tendulkar.

The Legendary Duel: James Anderson vs. Sachin Tendulkar and Virat Kohli

James Anderson stands alone as the only bowler to have consistently challenged and dominated both Sachin Tendulkar and Virat Kohli in Test cricket — dismissing Tendulkar nine times and Kohli seven. While his battles with Tendulkar spanned a period when Sachin was already a legend, it was his contests against Kohli that truly captured attention throughout the 2010s. Over 15 Test matches in eight years, Anderson and Kohli shared a fierce rivalry.

Reflecting on these battles, Anderson named Kohli the toughest batsman he ever bowled to, recalling how he exploited Kohli’s initial weakness outside off stump during the 2014 England tour. Kohli responded with a spectacular comeback in 2018, scoring 697 runs while keeping Anderson wicketless. Their rivalry remained intense, culminating in a fiery exchange during the 2019 Lord’s Test, where verbal volleys flew between Kohli and Anderson after a heated over involving Jasprit Bumrah.

Anderson noted that, unlike with Tendulkar, the dynamic against Kohli shifted drastically — from early success to facing one of the most competitive and mentally tough batsmen in the game. With Tendulkar, their battles were less emotionally charged, but no less respectful. The fierce competition with Kohli, however, was marked by mutual intensity and memorable on-field confrontations.

Anderson’s contrasting battles with Kohli and Tendulkar

James Anderson described Virat Kohli as a more expressive and emotional player compared to the calm and mild-mannered Sachin Tendulkar. “Sachin was very calm at the crease, while Virat wore his emotions on his sleeve, especially during his captaincy celebrations,” Anderson said. He explained how he tried to separate the emotional aspect and focus solely on Kohli as a batter, but admitted their on-field battles were intense.

Anderson added, “I definitely had more verbal battles with Virat than with Sachin. With Sachin, I tried not to engage much because he was at a different stage in his career and had a God-like presence in India. Fans treated him incredibly, and over time, Virat’s stature grew to a similar level. But early in his career, Kohli wasn’t as intimidating.”

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