James Anderson started a war of words after Day 4’s play of the recently concluded Test match between India and England at Wankhede stadium in Mumbai, when he raised questions about Virat Kohli’s batting technique. James Anderson and Virat Kohli share a fierce rivalry and before this series, England’s ace fast bowler had the better of Indian captain. But, in this series, Virat Kohli has batted brilliantly and he has put all the debates about his weakness against Anderson’s swing bowling to rest.
Virat Kohli has scored over 600 runs in the series so far and his average is in excess of 100. He is the leading run-scorer in the series and that too by a very big margin. After Virat Kohli’s double hundred in the first innings of the ongoing fourth Test, James Anderson made a statement about Virat Kohli’s technique. This is what James Anderson said:
“I AM NOT SURE IF HE (VIRAT KOHLI) HAS CHANGED. I JUST THINK ANY TECHNICAL DEFICIENCIES HE HAS GOT ARE NOT IN PLAY OUT HERE. THE WICKETS JUST TAKE THAT OUT OF THE EQUATION. THERE IS NOT THAT PACE IN THE WICKET TO GET THE NICKS LIKE WE DID AGAINST HIM IN ENGLAND – WITH A BIT MORE MOVEMENT”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sRHdiR1fxXk
When Virat Kohli was asked about James Anderson’s statement regarding his technique, this is what he told Virender Sehwag in an interview after Day 5’s play.
“I WASN’T EVEN AWARE OF IT, ASHWIN TOLD ME ON THE FIELD TODAY. HE (ASHWIN) TOO WAS UPSET WITH HIS COMMENTS AND RATHER TOLD HIM TO APPRECIATE THE EFFORTS THEN POINTING OUT A FINGER.”
Virat Kohli also told Sehwag that Anderson wanted to talk to him about his statement, but he refused saying there is nothing to talk and everything is on the scoreboard.
“I TOLD ASHWIN THAT WE DON’T HAVE TO ANSWER HIM BACK, THE RESULT OF THE MATCH WILL. I THINK HE MUST BE FEELING GUILTY FOR WHAT HE SAID. HE ASKED ME DURING THE MATCH WHETHER WE BOTH CAN HAVE A WORD REGARDING THE MATTER AND I SAID NO, THERE IS NOTHING TO TALK ABOUT IT.”
