Former Indian fast bowler Zaheer Khan believes we might see the epic battle between James Anderson and Virat Kohli for the one final time when England will lock horns against India in the rescheduled fifth Test match at Edgbaston, Birmingham from Friday.
Anderson and Kohli have had a staggering rivalry against one another and they both will look to be at their best in the fifth Test. The veteran fast bowler had his wood on Virat Kohli on India’s 2014 tour of England when the right-handed batter could only manage 134 runs in five Test matches.
On the other hand, Kohli proved his mettle against Anderson on the 2018 tour as he went on to score 593 runs in five matches. In fact, Anderson could not even dismiss Kohli on a single occasion on that tour.
Meanwhile, Kohli scored 218 runs in four Test matches against England in 2021 when India toured last year. On the other hand, Anderson was once again at his best as he snared 15 wickets in four games.
However, there is a question mark on Anderson’s fitness as he didn’t play the final Test against New Zealand due to an ankle injury. However, the experienced campaigner is confident about playing against India.
Zaheer said during a discussion on Cricbuzz: “The more you watch this battle, the more you enjoy it. But yes, I feel we might be seeing this battle for the last time. Anderson is not playing many matches these days and he seems quite close to retirement. There might be a big gap after this when it comes to the next India-England Test series.”
“It should be exciting without a doubt. During the previous series, we witnessed Anderson moving the ball rather impressively. He will pose problems for the batters for sure. Virat Kohli might also be troubled a bit. After all, it is never easy against Anderson and it will be a good challenge for Kohli.”
On the other hand, a lot of former players like Ravi Shastri, Brett Lee, and Michael Vaughan reckon that a break will help Kohli get out of the rut. However, Zaheer Khan believes there is no set formula if a break will help Kohli or not.
“Whether or not a player needs a break depends on the cricketer himself. There is no set formula. It is not as if you should take a break if you’re in bad form or that you will come back to form if you practice a lot. It’s up to the individual to decide.”
Kohli will be in action in the rescheduled Test match against England at Edgbaston, Birmingham.
