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Cricket Players'Jimmy used to get him out for fun': Swann predicts winner of Kohli vs Anderson battle in India vs England Tests
India vs England: In what promises to be probably the last battle between the two greats in Test cricket, it will be interesting to see who comes out on top.
One of the most fascinating aspects of the five-match Test series between India and England will be the face-off between captain Virat Kohli and veteran fast bowler James Anderson. The Anderson vs Kohli battle has been the highlight of India's last two tours of England. While in 2014, Anderson had Kohli's number, dismissing the India batsman five times, the India captain turned things around in style in 2018, peeling off three centuries.
In what promises to be probably the last battle between the two greats in Test cricket, it will be interesting to see who comes out on top. Kohli has not been at his prolific best in Test matches, while Anderson is in the final leg of his career. In such an intriguing scenario, former England spinner Graeme Swann has made his pick and backed Kohli to once again come out on top over Anderson.
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"The thing with Virat Kohli is, the last time he came here absolutely dominated the series. And again, to put the negative stand there and say 'Oh Jimmy Anderson got him out for fun'... Jimmy Anderson 'used to' get him out for fun in England and it was embarrassing," Swann told SportsKeeda.
"Virat Kohli went away, worked on his game to an extent that he didn't get out at all to Jimmy and he dominated in England. I am sure he's watching the videos, remembering his techniques against that English attack and I would back Virat Kohli to score runs anywhere in the world at any time."
Kohli's lack of an international century in more than a year has been a big talking point, but Swann suggests the century drought by no means is an indication that Kohli is not in his groove. The India captain scored two half-centuries in the four-Test series at home, and looked in control in the first innings of the World Test Championship, with a score of 44. Swann reckons that if there is any doubt that Kohli is no longer in the Fab 4 batsmen in the world, the India captain would prove he belongs there by the time the series is over.
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"The caveat that comes with being one of the 'Big Four', you are expected to score a big hundred either every Test match or every other Test match. That's by your fans, your teammates [but] it's hard work to do that. When you think that Virat hasn't played for almost six months and he's been in Covid bubbles, to come out with the same expectations in a one-off Test against New Zealand," Swann added.
"I think he still scored 70 runs in the game. He's going to have five matches against England and a truly world-class player like Virat will be fine and he'll come out flying in that series. He might not do that in the first Test, but by the end of the series, he'll be one of the Big Four again."
